Tetramorium caldarium (Roger)

Bolton, B., 1979, The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Malagasy region and in the New World., Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 38, pp. 129-181 : 169-170

publication ID

6435

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6282974

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/40A9F24D-B404-FB6E-E3EE-A4D6B3E70ED3

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Tetramorium caldarium (Roger)
status

stat. rev.

Tetramorium caldarium (Roger) View in CoL View at ENA   HNS stat. rev.

(Figs 28, 42)

Tetrogmus caldarius Roger   HNS , 1857: 12. Syntype worker, Germany: Prussia, Ananashause in Rauden' (BMNH) [examined] (previously treated as a synonym of simillimum   HNS , see note below). Tetramorium pusillum var. hemisi Wheeler, 1922: 193   HNS . Syntype workers, Zaire: Niangara, stomach of frog (Hemisus marmoratum) (H. O. Lang) (MCZ, Cambridge) [examined]. Syn. n. Tetramorium antipodum Wheeler, 1927: 143   HNS . Syntype workers, Norfolk I.: 1915 (A. M. Lea) (MCZ, Cambridge) [examined]. Syn. n. Tetramorium minutum Donisthorpe   HNS , 1942: 30. Holotype female, Egypt: Siwa, 17. vii. 1935 (J. OmerCooper) (BMNH) [examined]. Syn. n.

Note. Roger (1862: 297) synonymized his species Tetrogmus caldarius   HNS with Tetramorium simillimum   HNS , the latter being the senior name. His genus Tetrogmus   HNS rightly disappeared into the synonymy of Tetramorium   HNS but since then the name of the species which he described has consistently been referred to the synonymy of simillimum   HNS , where I left it in the second part of this study (Bolton, 1977). Since then the taxonomy of the simillimum-group has been studied in greater detail and it has become apparent that caldarium   HNS is a valid species, close to simillimum   HNS but consistently differing from it in the structure of the frontal carinae and in other details. From this finding T. caldarium   HNS is henceforth removed from the synonymy of simillimum   HNS and stands as a good species.

Worker. Basically similar to simillimum   HNS and agreeing with the description of that species in most particulars, but differing as follows.

1. Frontal carinae less strongly developed. Generally the frontal carinae of caldarium   HNS are feeble throughout their length and usually weakly or not sinuate. They are best developed to the level of the midlength of the eye, behind which they become weak or broken, or fade out posteriorly, becoming indistinguishable from the cephalic rugulae in many cases. The low, raised flange or rim, which runs almost the length of the carinae in simillimum   HNS , is much weaker in caldarium   HNS and only developed to a level about equal to the midlength of the eye, behind which it quickly disappears.

2. Antennal scrobes feeble. In simillimum   HNS the antennal scrobes are shallow but are long and broad and distinctly concave, the effect being enhanced by the strong frontal carinae which delimit their dorsal and posterior margins. In caldarium   HNS the scrobes are much more weakly developed, very little concave and not bordered posteriorly. Also, the poor development of the frontal carinae makes the scrobes look very nondescript. Compare Figs 41 and 42.

3. Cephalic ground sculpture weak. In caldarium   HNS the strong reticulate-punctulation or granulation seen in simillimum   HNS is replaced by a much weaker granular or punctulate ground-sculpture between the rugulae, so that the head appears by no means as matt and rough.

4. Head differently shaped. In simillimum   HNS the head in full-face view tends to become broader from front to back, the sides diverging behind the level of the eyes, whereas in caldarium   HNS the width of the head does not noticeably increase posteriorly, compare Figs 41 and 42.

These characters in combination will differentiate the two species in the New World. The species will be treated in more detail in the part of this study dealing with the fauna of the Ethiopian region, as both have a number of closely related forms in that zoogeographical region.

Apart from the New World references given below, caldarium   HNS is widely distributed in Africa from Egypt to Kenya and occurs sporadically on islands such as the Cape Verde group, Mauritius, Madeira and St Helena. Occasionally it is introduced in Europe as the types from Germany and a series from Kew Gardens, London go to show, but it is hard to assess how often it is introduced or how successful the species is as no doubt many of the past identifications of simillimum   HNS in Europe should in fact have been referred to this species. T. caldarium   HNS is not known from Australia and seems to be uncommon throughout the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions. Three series are known from India but apart from this the only records of caldarium   HNS are the series from Norfolk Island which make up the types of the synonymous antipodum   HNS and three workers from New Caledonia.

In part two of this survey (Bolton, 1977: 131) I gave antipodum   HNS as a provisional synonym of simillimum   HNS as at that time I had not been able to locate any members of the type-series. Since then a number of specimens referable to the type-series of antipodum   HNS have been found in the collections of MCZ, Cambridge and these show the species to be a straight synonym of caldarium   HNS .

Material examined (New World)

U. S. A.: Florida, St Augustine (W. L. Brown). Mexico: Rio Metlac, Veracruz Canyon (A. Newton); Nogales; Guerrero, Chilpancingo (N. L. H. Krauss). Puerto Rico: Mayaguez (M. R. Smith); Tres Hermanos (M. R. Smith); Coamo Springs (W. M. Wheeler). Haiti: Furcy (W. M. Mann). Dominican Republic: series on logs ex Dominica, intercepted at New York. Colombia: series on orchids ex Colombia, intercepted at New York (S. D. Whittock). Brazil: SP., Paracicaba (C. A. Triplehorn). Peru: Chaclacayo, E. Lima (H. Crozier).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Tetramorium

Loc

Tetramorium caldarium (Roger)

Bolton, B. 1979
1979
Loc

Tetramorium antipodum

Wheeler 1927: 143
1927
Loc

Tetramorium pusillum var. hemisi

Wheeler 1922: 193
1922
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