Tetramorium spinosum

(Pergande, 1896)

Tetramorium spinosum is a of in the , described by Pergande in 1896. It belongs to the Tetramorium, a diverse group of ants commonly known as pavement ants. The species is part of the Tetramorium caespitum , a group of morphologically similar ants that has been subject to taxonomic revision due to cryptic .

Tetramorium spinosum casent0005831 head 1 by wikipedia. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Tetramorium spinosum castype00654 dorsal 1 by wikipedia. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Tetramorium spinosum casent0005831 label 1 by wikipedia. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tetramorium spinosum: /ˌtɛtrəˈmɔːriəm spɪˈnoʊsəm/

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Identification

Tetramorium spinosum is distinguished from other Tetramorium by the presence of on the propodeum. It is part of the T. caespitum , which contains multiple cryptic species that are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Accurate identification typically requires examination of microscopic characters and may benefit from molecular analysis.

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Distribution

Tetramorium spinosum has been recorded in North America, with observations documented in the United States. The appears to have a more restricted range compared to the broadly distributed T. caespitum lato.

Similar Taxa

Tetramorium caespitumTetramorium spinosum is closely related to and morphologically similar to T. caespitum, historically causing taxonomic confusion between the two .
Tetramorium tsushimaeBoth are members of the T. caespitum complex and share morphological similarities; T. tsushimae is an Asian introduction to North America that may overlap in distribution with T. spinosum.