Tetramorium Brevidentatum

''Tetramorium'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae that includes more than 520 species. These ants are also known as pavement ants.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

''Tetramorium'' was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1855 in the same publication as '' Monomorium''.

Revision within the genus by Wagner et al. in 2017 recognized a complex of 10 cryptic species, 3 of which were raised from subspecies classifications and 2 of which were newly described. This revision also elevated the pavement ant introduced to North America as the species ''T. immigrans'' rather than the previous designation as a subspecies of ''T. caespitum''. These 10 species within in the ''T. caespitum'' complex are as follows:
* ''Tetramorium alpestre'' Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010
* ''Tetramorium breviscapus'' Wagner et al., 2017
* '' Tetramorium caespitum'' (Linnaeus, 1758)
* ''Tetramorium caucasicum'' Wagner et al., 2017
* ''Tetramorium fusciclava'' Consani & Zangheri, 1952
* ''Tetramorium hungaricum'' Röszler, 1935
* ''Tetramorium immigrans'' Santschi, 1927
* ''Tetramorium impurum'' (Foerster, 1850)
* '' Tetramorium indocile'' Santschi, 1927
* '' Tetramorium staerckei'' Kratochvíl, 1944

Description

Workers of most species have a ridged clypeus, an appendaged stinger, mandibles with 3 or 4 teeth, and antennae with 11 or 12 segments or with 3-segmented clubs on the tips. The genus is divided into several species groups defined by various characters.

Distribution

Most species are distributed throughout the Afrotropical and Oriental regions. Ten species have been recorded from Japan. One species of pavement ant, '' T. immigrans'', is native to Europe and was probably introduced to North America starting in the 18th century.Jacobs, S
Pavement Ant.
Penn State Extension. 2014.

Biology

Most known species nest in the soil, in decaying wood, or in leaf litter. Some live in trees or in termite nests.

Species

* '' Tetramorium aculeatum'' (Mayr, 1866)
* ''Tetramorium adelphon'' Bolton, 1979
* ''Tetramorium adpressum'' (Bolton, 1976)
* ''Tetramorium aegeum'' Radchenko, 1992
* '' Tetramorium africanum'' (Mayr, 1866)
* '' Tetramorium agile'' Arnold, 1960
* '' Tetramorium agnum'' (Santschi, 1935)
* '' Tetramorium akermani'' Arnold, 1926
* '' Tetramorium altivagans'' Santschi, 1914
* ''Tetramorium alpestre'' Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010
* '' Tetramorium amalae'' Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012
* '' Tetramorium amatongae'' Bolton, 1980
* '' Tetramorium amaurum'' Bolton, 1980
* '' Tetramorium amentete'' Bolton, 1980
* '' Tetramorium amissum'' Bolton, 1980
* '' Tetramorium amium'' Forel, 1912
* ''Tetramorium andrei'' Forel, 1892
* ''Tetramorium andrynicum'' Bolton, 1977
* ''Tetramorium angulinode'' Santschi, 1910
* '' Tetramorium anodontion'' Bolton, 1979
* ''Tetramorium antennatum'' (Mann, 1919)
* ''Tetramorium antipodum'' Wheeler, 1927
* ''Tetramorium antrema'' (Bolton, 1976)
* '' Tetramorium anxium'' Santschi, 1914
* ''Tetramorium aptum'' Bolton, 1977
* ''Tetramorium argenteopilosum'' Arnold, 1926
* ''Tetramorium armatum'' Santschi, 1927
* ''Tetramorium arnoldi'' (Forel, 1913)
* '' Tetramorium arzi'' Thome, 1969
* ''Tetramorium asetyum'' Bolton, 1980
* '' Tetramorium aspersum'' (Smith, 1865)
* ''Tetramorium ataxium'' Bolton, 1980
* ''Tetramorium avium'' Bolton, 1980
* ''Tetramorium banyulense'' Bernard, 1983
* '' Tetramorium barbigerum'' Bolton, 1980
* ''Tetramorium barryi'' Mathew, 1981
* ''Tetramorium basum'' Bolton, 1977
* '' Tetramorium baufra'' (Bolton, 1976)
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