ant
Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
s in the subfamily
Myrmicinae
Myrmicinae is a subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily ...
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 Entomology, entomologist and professor in Budapest and Vienna. He specialised in Hymenoptera, being particularly known for his studies of ants.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 in the ''T. caespitum'' complex are as follows:
* '' Tetramorium alpestre'' Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010
* '' Tetramorium breviscapus'' Wagner et al., 2017
* ''
Tetramorium caespitum
''Tetramorium caespitum'', also known as the red pavement ant, is a species of Myrmicine ant native to Europe, Morocco, and western Asia, but now found on many other continents as a tramp species.
Etymology
The species is commonly known as the ...
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
The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...
and Indomalayan realms. Ten species have been recorded from
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. One species of pavement ant, '' T. immigrans'', is native to
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
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.
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
''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 ...
'' (Mayr, 1866)
* ''
Tetramorium agile
''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, 1960
* ''
Tetramorium agnum
''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, 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 ...
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 publi ...
Tetramorium caespitum
''Tetramorium caespitum'', also known as the red pavement ant, is a species of Myrmicine ant native to Europe, Morocco, and western Asia, but now found on many other continents as a tramp species.
Etymology
The species is commonly known as the ...
'' (
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
,
1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...
Tetramorium desertorum
''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 ...
Tetramorium distinctum
''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 ...
Tetramorium jordani
''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 ...
Tetramorium monardi
''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 ...
Tetramorium osiris
''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 ...