''Tetramorium'' is a genus of

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,0 ...

s in the subfamily

Myrmicinae Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent an ...

that includes more than 520 species. These ants are also known as pavement ants.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

''Tetramorium'' was first described by

Gustav Mayr Gustav L. Mayr (12 October 1830 – 14 July 1908) was an Austrian entomologist and professor in Budapest and Vienna. He specialised in Hymenoptera, being particularly known for his studies of ants.Monomorium ''Monomorium'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. As of 2013 it contains about 396 species. It is distributed around the world, with many species native to the Old World tropics. It is considered to be "one of the more important grou ...

''. 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 ''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 pub ...

'' Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010 * '' Tetramorium breviscapus'' Wagner et al., 2017 * ''

Tetramorium caespitum ''Tetramorium caespitum'', also known as the pavement ant, is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. References Tetramorium Ants described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{ant-stub ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''

Tetramorium caucasicum ''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 pub ...

'' Wagner et al., 2017 * '' Tetramorium fusciclava'' Consani & Zangheri, 1952 * ''

Tetramorium hungaricum ''Tetramorium hungaricum'' is a species of ant in the family Formicidae found in Hungary, eastern Austria and Trassylvania, Central Europe. It occurs in grasslands of dry, south-exposed limestine or dolomitic slopes, also on sandy grasslands. ...

'' Röszler, 1935 * ''

Tetramorium immigrans ''Tetramorium immigrans''—also known as the immigrant pavement ant, pavement ant, and the sugar ant in parts of North America—is an ant native to Europe, which also occurs as an introduced pest in North America. Its common name comes from the ...

'' Santschi, 1927 * ''

Tetramorium impurum ''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 pub ...

'' (Foerster, 1850) * '' Tetramorium indocile'' Santschi, 1927 * ''

Tetramorium staerckei ''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 pub ...

'' 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 Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

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 ''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 publ ...

'' (Mayr, 1866) * ''

Tetramorium adelphon ''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 publi ...

'' Bolton, 1979 * ''

Tetramorium adpressum ''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 publi ...

'' (Bolton, 1976) * ''

Tetramorium aegeum ''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 publi ...

'' Radchenko, 1992 * '' Tetramorium africanum'' (Mayr, 1866) * '' Tetramorium agile'' Arnold, 1960 * '' Tetramorium agnum'' (Santschi, 1935) * ''

Tetramorium akermani ''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 publi ...

'' Arnold, 1926 * ''

Tetramorium altivagans ''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 publi ...

'' Santschi, 1914 * ''

'' Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010 * ''

Tetramorium amalae ''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 publi ...

'' Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012 * ''

Tetramorium amatongae ''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 publi ...

'' Bolton, 1980 * ''

Tetramorium amaurum ''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 publ ...

'' Bolton, 1980 * ''

Tetramorium amentete ''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 publ ...

'' Bolton, 1980 * ''

Tetramorium amissum ''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 publ ...

'' Bolton, 1980 * '' Tetramorium amium'' Forel, 1912 * ''

Tetramorium andrei ''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 pub ...

'' Forel, 1892 * ''

Tetramorium andrynicum ''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 publ ...

'' Bolton, 1977 * ''

Tetramorium angulinode ''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 pub ...

'' Santschi, 1910 * ''

Tetramorium anodontion ''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 pub ...

'' Bolton, 1979 * '' Tetramorium antennatum'' (Mann, 1919) * ''

Tetramorium antipodum ''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 publi ...

'' Wheeler, 1927 * ''

Tetramorium antrema ''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 publi ...

'' (Bolton, 1976) * '' Tetramorium anxium'' Santschi, 1914 * ''

Tetramorium aptum ''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 publi ...

'' Bolton, 1977 * ''

Tetramorium argenteopilosum ''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 pub ...

'' Arnold, 1926 * ''

Tetramorium armatum ''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 pub ...

'' Santschi, 1927 * ''

Tetramorium arnoldi ''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 pub ...

'' (Forel, 1913) * ''

Tetramorium arzi ''Tetramorium'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae that includes more