Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857)

Collingwood, C. A., Pohl, F., Güsten, R., Wranik, W., van Harten, A., 2004, The ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra Archipelago, Fauna of Arabia 20, pp. 473-495 : 481

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 0.5281/zenodo.12560
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6269276
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/80BCA631-00A1-6D38-3BBC-2773B346929A
treatment provided by	Donat
scientific name	Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857)
status

Treatment

Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857) View in CoL View at ENA Fig. 9

Tetrogmus caldarius Roger, 1857 . - Berl. Entomol. Z. 1: 12. (Poland).

Specimens examined: Yemen, Socotra Island: 1 ☿, Wadi Daneghan , 12°37N 54°04'E, 90 m, 21-22.X.2000, H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2073 ; 4 ☿☿, 1 9, Coeeh , 12°32'N 54°10'E, 240 m, 23.X.2000, A. van Harten, HLMD-Hym-2074 , NHCY GoogleMaps ; 1 ☿, Coeeh, 12°32'N 54°10'E, 240 m, 23.X.2000, H. Pohl, NHCY GoogleMaps ; 1 ☿, Nojid, Farmihin , Steroh, wadi , 12°24'N 54°09'E, 24.X.2000, A. van Harten, HLMD-Hym-2075 GoogleMaps ; 7 ☿☿, Wadi Daneghan, 12°37'N 54°04'E, 90 m, pitfall traps, 28-30.X.2000, A. van Harten & H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2076 , NHCY, CCC GoogleMaps ; 1 ☿, Hadibo and immediate surroundings , 12°37'N 54°01'E, 01.XI.2000, A. van Harten, HLMD-Hym-2077 GoogleMaps .

Remarks: Tetramorium caldarium is generally considered a less common, though also widely recorded, tramp species than its close relative T. simillimum . The picture of their distribution is somewhat unclear, the two long having been considered synonyms. In contrast to T. simillimum , the frontal carinae are feebly developed and the antennal scrobes virtually absent in T. caldarium . The Socotran examples belong to a rarer variant ( “transformant”) which has the frontal carinae separated by less than half the head width behind the eyes. This form may constitute a separate species and could originate from eastern Africa (Bolton 1980), casting some doubt whether it has been transferred artificially to Socotra. No records of T. caldarium from the Arabian Peninsula have been brought forth.