Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877

AL-Keridis, Lamya A., Gaber, Nevien M., Aldawood, Abdulrahman S., Wetterer, James K. & Sharaf, Mostafa R., 2021, Tetramorium sericeiventre (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the Arabian Peninsula, with an evaluation of its ecology and global distribution, Journal of Natural History 55 (3 - 4), pp. 177-187 : 178-184

Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877

( Figures 1–2 )

Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877: 370 (w.) Eritrea. Afrotropic. For full synonymic history see Hita Garcia and Fisher (2011).

Identification. Tetramorium sericeiventre can be diagnosed by the following characters: frontal carinae short and feebly developed; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines sharp; propodeal lobes long, usually of same length of propodeal spines; petiolar nodes rectangular, in profile with a feebly convex dorsum; cephalic surface, mesosoma (except propodeum), petiole, postpetiole, and gaster with sparse and stout standing hairs. Among Arabian Tetramorium species , T. sericeiventre can be confused with T. khyarum Bolton, 1980 from Nigeria in all morphological characters except the lack of the single pair of hairs on the propodeal dorsum.

Worker morphology. Head. Head distinctly longer than broad; anterior clypeal margin entire and convex; frontal carinae short and feebly developed; antennal scrobes absent; scapes when laid back from their insertions relatively long, surpassing posterior head margin; eyes small to moderate with 11 to 14 ommatidia in longest row. Mesosoma. Mesosomal profile flat; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines sharp and narrow; propodeal lobes relatively long, usually of same length of propodeal spines. Petiole. Petiolar nodes rectangular, in profile with a feebly convex dorsum. Postpetiole. Postpetiole in profile rounded, distinctly higher than long, in dorsal view clearly broader than long, and broader than petiolar node. Sculpture. Mandibles longitudinally striate or rugose; clypeus with a median longitudinal ruga; cephalic sculpture variable, usually reticulate-rugose; mesosomal, petiolar, and postpetiolar sculpture variable, usually with longitudinal rugae and with a reticulate-punctulate ground sculpture; first gastral tergite usually densely punctulate or strongly shagreened. Pilosity. Cephalic surface, mesosoma (except propodeum), petiole, postpetiole, and gaster with sparse and stout standing hairs, pronotum and mesonotum with 5 to 6 pairs of hairs, propodeum bare; scapes and tibiae with short and appressed pubescence. Colour. Colour red-brown to brown, sometimes dark brown, gaster often darker than rest of body.

Material examined. We examined a total 431 Tetramorium sericeiventre specimens (specimens deposited in KSMA unless otherwise noted). KSA: Al-Baha Province: Al- Baha, Shada Mountain , 19.8388°N, 41.3117°E, 1620 m, 22 .ix .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 6 w; Baljurashi, Al Qam’a park, 19.48°N, 41.43°E, 1950 m, 21 .ix .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 9 w; Baljurashi, Al Qam’a park, 19.48°N, 41.43°E, 1931 m, 17 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 35 w, 3 q; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 744 m, 20 .ix .2011, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0022, 1 w; Al-Baha, Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 744 m, 08 .xi .2012, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0106, 2 w; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 744 m, 17 .iv .2013, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0152, 9 w; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 741 m, 18 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 23 w, 1 q; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 744 m, 07 .iv .2013, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0152, 8 w; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 741 m, 11 .v .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 17 w; Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn Archaeological vill ., 19.9295°N, 41.4428°E, 741 m, 15 .v .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 6 w; wadi Wlzaraeb ( Kheir ), 20.0600°N, 41.3865°E, 2123 m, 15 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 2 w, 3q, 2 m; wadi Moqwah , 19.4950°N, 41.2267°E, 482 m, 07 .iii .2013, M. R. Sharaf, 1 w; Shohba forest , 20.0453°N, 41.4760°E, 2324 m, 14 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 3 w; Shohba forest , 20.0453°N, 41.4760°E, 2324 m, 14 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 6 w; Amadan, El Mandaq , 20.2027°N, 41.2317°E, 1881 m, 19 .v .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 2 w; wadi Turabah , 20.2110°N, 41.2882°E, 1793 m, 10 . v .2011, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0011, 12 w; Asir Province: Khamis Mushayt, wadi Bishah , 18.3336 °N, 42.7035°E, 1990 m, 27 .iv .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 7 w; Khamis Mushayt, wadi Ben Hashbal , 18.5948°N, 42.6503°E, 1892 m, 26 .iv .2011, M. R. Sharaf, 4 w; Dalaghan , 18.1014 °N, 42.7051° E, 17 .iv .2008, M. R. Sharaf, 2 w, 1q; AlUrdyiah Gov ., wadi Gonouna , 19.4293°N, 41.6050°E, 353 m, 12 .v .2011, M. R. Sharaf, MRS3.4, 5 w; Al Atawla (Al-Baha-Taif RD), wadi Bawah , 20.7496°N, 41.2474°E, 1310 m, 08 .xi .2012, M. R. Sharaf, MRS0108, 1 w; Riyadh Province: Rawdhat Khorim , 25.23°N, 47.17°E, 559 m, 18 .iii .2012, M. R. Sharaf, CASENT 0906430,1 w; Rawdhat Khorim , 25.3861°N, 47.2767°E, 618 m, 02 .vi .2013, S. Salman, 9 w; Rawdhat Khorim , 25.3824°N, 47.2797°E, 551 m, 16 .i .2015, S. Salman, 3 w; wadi Hanifa , 24.6649°N, 46.6057°E, 633 m, 15 .i .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 2 w; wadi Hanifa , 24.7709°N, 46.5314°E, 695 m, 18 .ix .2014, S. Salman, 2 w (1 w with a broken gaster); Al-Ammariyah , 24.8183°N, 46.4469°E, 696 m, 12 .x .2013, S. Salman, 6 w; W. Eldawaser , 20.4865°N, 44.7643°E, 690 m, 22 .i .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Mezahmyia , 24.4838°N, 46.2631°E, 648 m, 25 .i .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Buaythiran , 25.1486°N, 45.9503°E, 815 m, 07 .ii .2011, M. R. Sharaf,1 w; AlHayer , 24.5537° N, 46.7380°E, 648 m, 11 .iv .2014, S. Salman, 7 w; AlHayer , 24.5570°N, 46.4355°E, 589 m, 11 . iv .2014, S. Salman, 4 w (1 w with a broken gaster); Rumah , 25.5706°N, 46.9725°E, 615 m, 11 . iv .2014, S. Salman, 2 w; Dirab , 24.4186°N, 46.6540°E, 604 m, 18 .ix .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Dirab , 24.4186° N, 46.6540° E, 588 m, 30 .xii .2009, M. R. Sharaf, 3 w; Oyaina , 24.9066° N, 46.3899° E, 749 m, 28 .iv .2010, M. R. Sharaf, 5 w, 8q; Majmaa , 26.0049°N, 45.0189° E, 594 m, 13 .ix .2014, S. Salman, 5 w; Majmaa , 25.9223°N, 45.31045° E, 736 m, 13 .ix .2014, S. Salman, 3 w; Ghiyanah , 25.0736°N, 46.2264°E, 793 m, 26 .xii .2014, S. Salman, 15 w; Dawadimi , 24.5375°N, 44.3548°E, 999 m, 16 .i .2015, S. Salman, 5 w; Dawadimi , 24.5521°N, 43.9317°E, 873 m, 16 .i .2015, S. Salman, 31 w; Dawadimi , 24.4840°N, 44.3767°E, 893 m, 18 .iv .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Dawadimi , 24.4670°N, 44.3424°E, 1038 m, 18 .iv .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Dawadimi , 24.5375°N, 44.3548°E, 999 m, 16 .i .2015, S. Salman, 4 w, 2 m; Thadiq , 25.2936° N, 45.8710° E, 735 m, 26 .iv .2014, S. Salman, 2 w; Shaqra , 25.3263°N, 45.2334° E, 710 m, 30 . v .2014, S. Salman, 4 w; Shaqra , 25.2301°N, 45.3191° E, 703 m, 24 .i .2015, S. Salman, 4 w; Quwayaiyah , 24.0504°N, 45.2579°E, 839 m, 29 .xi .2014, S. Salman, 1 w; Hawtat Bani Tamim , 23.5073°N, 46.9005°E, 593 m, 13 .xii .2014, S. Salman, 5 w; Hawtat Sudair , 25.5916°N, 45.6124°E, 732 m, 31 .i .2015, S. Salman, 9 w; Afif , 23.9000°N, 42.8807°E, 1052 m, 17 . i .2015, S. Salman, 2 w; Sajir , 25.0650°N, 44.6974°E, 751 m, 23 .i .2015, S. Salman, 1 w; Sulayel , 22.2028°N, 46.6943°E, 560 m, 19 .ii .2015, S. Salman, 6 w; Kharrarah , 24.3916°N, 46.2443°E, 726 m, 08 .iv .2015, S. Salman, 5 w; Ghiyanah , 25.0736°N, 46.2264°E, 728 m, 26 . xii .2014, S. Salman, 3 w; Ghiyanah , 25.0736°N, 46.2264°E, 793 m, 26 .xii .2014, S. Salman, 3 w; Bijadriyah , 24.3101°N, 43.7313°E, 934 m, 16 .i .2015, S. Salman, 3 w; Salboukh , 25.0792°N, 46.3472°E, 05 .xi .2009, M. R. Sharaf,18 w; Salboukh , 25.0783°N, 46.3469°E, 716 m, 26 . xii .2017, M. R. Sharaf,1 w; wadi Huraymila , 25.0686°N, 46.0027°E, 15 .ix .2011, F. A. Esteves, FAE912, CASENT0264322, 1 w; Huraymila , 25.1206°N, 46.1159°E, 15 .ix .2011, F. A. Esteves, FAE911, CASENT0263997, 1 w ( KSMA); wadi Drady , 01 .v .1980, W. Buttiker, 1 w; Jizan, 2 w ( WMLC); Alkarj , 24.1576°N, 47.3248°E, 25 .v .1980, W. Buttiker, 2 m, ( WMLC); Abu Arish , 16.9692°N, 42.8443°E, 27 .iii .1983, C. A. Collingwood, 1 m, ( WMLC); wadi Qust (Mecca region), 21.0436°N, 41.2886°E, 07 .iv .1983, C. A. Collingwood, 1 w, ( WMLC); Al Khubra , 26.2172°N, 50.1971°E, 29 .v .1978, W. Buttiker, 1 m, ( WMLC); Fayfa , 17.2473°N, 43.1069°E, 27–31 .iii .1983, Holzschuh, 1 w, ( WMLC); wadi Tumair (Riyadh Province), 23.8667°N, 46.9833°E, 20 .ii .1976, Buttiker, 1 w, ( WMLC); wadi Azizah , 18.217°N, 42.433°E, 17–18 . ix .1983, C. A. Collingwood, 4 w, ( WMLC); wadi Maraba , 17.9°N, 42.3833°E, 16 .x .1979, Buttiker, 1 w, ( WMLC); OMAN: Khawr Sawli (Dhofar), 17.0329°N, 54.3298°E, 08 .i .1985, Gallager, 5 w; Hajar Mnt ., Salma Plateau , 22.8777°N, 59.1186°E, 1334 m, 14 .xi .2018, A. Polaszek, 2 w; Dhofar, Ayn Sahlanot , 17.14766°N, 54.17878°E, 151 m, 16 .xi .2017, M. R. Sharaf, 2 w, (1 w, CASC, CASENT0922884 ); Ayn Ashat , 16.9981°N, 53.8195°E, 202 m, 21 .xi .2017, M. R. Sharaf, 9 w; Ayn Dirbat , 17.1057°N, 54.4529°E, 207 m, 17 .xi .2017, M. R. Sharaf , 1 w, ( KSMA); YEMEN: San’a, 15.3694°N, 44.191°E, iii .1991, Van Harten, 1q, ( WMLC); BENIN: Korobourou , 09°22 ʹ 13 ʹ ’N, 02°40 ʹ 16 ʹ ’E, 14 .ix .2012, J-F Vayssieres, RVA 2895, 2 w; Korobourou, 09°22 ʹ 13 ʹ ’N, 02°40 ʹ 16 ʹ ’E, 9 .xi .2012, J-F Vayssieres, VA 3020.1, 2 w; Koro, 09°22 ʹ 21 ʹ ’N, 02°40 ʹ 13 ʹ ’E, 27 .iii .2013, J-F Vayssieres, RVA 3056.5, 2 w; Kika-Beterou, 09° 14 ʹ 07 ʹ ’N, 02°11 ʹ 52 ʹ ’E, 9 .xi .2011 , J-F Vayssieres, RVA 3099.12, 3 w; Agonlin, 07°12 ʹ 55.2 ʹ ’N, 02°19 ʹ 13.7 ʹ ’E, 55 m, J-F Vayssieres , RVA 3108.3, 1 w; CAMEROUN: Poli , 8°29 ʹ N, 13°15 ʹ E, 15 . vi .2001 , G Debout & A Dalecky , 126, 1 w; Awae II, 03°54 ʹ 30”N, 11°25 ʹ 58”E, 17 .xii .2006 , A Fotso Kuate, 1 w; CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Dzanga-Sangha , 03°55 ʹ 13.2”N, 16° 36 ʹ 46.1”E, 536 m, 20 .i .2005 , P Annoyer, Di- 09, 1 w; CONGO: Brazzaville , 4° 15 ʹ 33”S, 15° 17 ʹ 5”E, 19 .viii . 2007 , 317 m, Y Braet, t-1- 1, 2 w; same data as previous material, t-1- 10, 1 w; same data as previous material, t-1- 19, 1 w; Iboubikro, 25 .i .2008 , Y Braet & E Zassi, 1 w; GABON: Pongara , 00°34 ʹ N, 09°19 ʹ E, 16 .vii .2006 , L Volait, G 17, 2 w; same data as previous material, G 18, 1 w; same data as previous material, G 19, 1 w; GHANA: no locality, 2005, S Sky Stephens, 05G0011, 1 w; NAMIBIA: Caprivi Park , 17°46 ʹ 56”S, 23°16 ʹ 31”E, 15 .xii .1999 , Mann & Marais, OUMNH-2006- 093, 6 w; SENEGAL: Tambacounda, Dindifa , 13°09 ʹ 40”N, 12° 06 ʹ 46”W, 213 m, 10 .v .2009 , B Ndiaye, 3 w; Ferlo, Katané , 15.48°N, 14.08°W, x .2010 , B Ndiaye, 4 w; Lamine Diamé, Sébikotane , 14°46 ʹ N, 17°07 ʹ W, 2012, 3 w; SUDAN: Jabel awlya, 15°14 ʹ 28”N, 32°29 ʹ 59”E, 2009, A Omer, 1 w; Wad Al Hadad , 13°49 ʹ 28.14”N, 33° 32 ʹ 39.33”E, 9 .ii .2010 , Z Mahmoud, 2009– 77, 1 w; South Sudan , 8.183°N, 30.317°E, vi. 2005, A Omer, S 1–14- 1, 1 w; Dinder NP, 11°N, 35°E, 2012, A Omer, 26, 1 w; Sinja, 13° 09 ʹ N, 33°55 ʹ 60”E, 17 . Ii .2013 , A Omer, 2 w; Abu Hijar , 12°52 ʹ N, 34°0 ʹ E, 24 .ii .2013 , A Omer, 1 q; Abu Hijar , 12°52 ʹ N, 34°0 ʹ E, 28 .ii .2013 , A Omer, 3 w ( OUMC).

Morphological variation. Tetramorium sericeiventre displays a wide range of colour variation ranging from distinctly contrasting body colour with head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole clear yellow, light brown or dark brown and gaster frequently dark black brown to black ( Figures 1–2 ). In rare cases, workers have bark brown to black brown body with head conspicuously paler usually reddish to brown. Its body sculpture also shows a remarkable degree of variation, comprehensively discussed by Bolton (1980) and Hita Garcia and Fisher (2011). Some workers are uniform black with superficial sculpture on the head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole, while some workers are relatively smooth and shiny. Bolton (1980) presented 25 synonyms for T. sericeiventre , 13 of which were from a single reference ( Santschi 1918). Hita Garcia and Fisher (2011) added eight additional synonyms from the Malagasy fauna. This high number of synonyms is the result of the wide range of variation within the species.

Natural History in KSA. Tetramorium sericeiventre occurs in a wide range of habitats in KSA (e.g. see Figure 3 ). In the woodland forests of the Asir Mountains, this species builds nests in ground under rocks and stones near Acacia (Fabaceae) and Juniper ( Cupressaceae ) trees. We observed workers foraging in humid leaf litter in the Al Sarawat Mountains and coexisting with some beetle species of the families Pselaphinae , Staphylinidae and Tenebrionidae . In the Fayfa Mountains, T. sericeiventre foraging at night and attracted to tight traps. Males are frequently attracted to light ( Collingwood 1985).

In the KSA, T. sericeiventre was found at numerous mid and high elevation (572–2387 m) sites ( Table 1). It was the most abundant Tetramorium collected by pitfall traps in Acacia thorn woodlands and in areas of cactus pear, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. ( Cactaceae ) and wild olive trees Olea europaea ssp cuspidata (Wall.ex G. Don) Cifferi ( Oleaceae ) in the mountainous areas of southwest of the KSA. The species is also the commonest Tetramorium in sandy areas of Riyadh Province, with Acacia ehrenbergiana Heyne (Fabaceae) , Echinops sp. (Compositae) , Pulicaria undulata (L.) C. A. Mey. ( Asteraceae ), and Artemisia graveolens Rydb. (Asteraceae) .

In wadi Hanifa, Riyadh,we found T. sericeiventre more abundant in the rural and suburban areas than in urban areas. At Rawdhat Khorim, Sharaf et al. (2013) found a similarly high abundance of T. sericeiventre . In Al-Baha Province, El-Hawagry et al. (2013) collected T. sericeiventre in five different natural areas in the Al Sarawat Mountains: Amadan forest, Baljurashi, Raghdan forest, Shahba forest, and wadi El-Zarayeb.

Geographic distribution. Tetramorium sericeiventre is broadly spread throughout open habitats of the Arabian Peninsula, the Afrotropical ( Bolton 1980) and the Malagasy ( Hita Garcia and Fisher 2011) ( Figure 4 ). On the Arabian Peninsula, it is one of the most widely distributed Tetramorium species ( Collingwood 1985; Collingwood and Agosti 1996; Collingwood et al. 2011; Sharaf et al. 2013).

We did not map three erroneous or questionable published site records of T. sericeiventre . Chapman and Capco (1951) erroneously listed a record of Tetramorium sericeiventre munda Santschi from Guinea, West Africa as from Melanesian island of New Guinea. Collingwood and Agosti (1996) marked in a table that T. sericeiventre occurs in Kuwait, but the paper included no records from Kuwait. De Haro and Collingwood (1994) listed T. sericeiventre as present in southern Iberia, but we found no specimen records supporting this.

Figures

Figure 1. Tetramorium sericeiventre workers from Oman ((a) body in profile, (b) body in dorsal view, (c) head in full-face view; CASENT0922884; photographer: Michele Esposito, antweb.org).

Figure 2. Representative specimens of Tetramorium sericeiventre showing the broad range of morphological variations; (a,d,g) worker from Comoros, ((a) body in profile, (d) body in dorsal view, (g) head in full-face view; CASENT0147456); (b,e,f) worker from Madagascar, ((b) body in profile, (e) body in dorsal view, (h) head in full-face view; CASENT0102385); (c,f,i) worker from KSA, ((c) body in profile, (f) body in dorsal view, (i) head in full-face view; CASENT0906430). All photographs by Michele Esposito, antweb.org.

Figure 3. Representative habitats of Tetramorium sericeiventre on the Arabian Peninsula, (a) Dhi Ayn Archaeological village (KSA), (b,c) wadi Ben Hashbal (KSA), (d). wadi Bishah (KSA), (e) wadi Hanifa (KSA), (f) Dhofar (Oman). Mostafa Sharaf photo.

Figure 4. Distribution maps of Tetramorium sericeiventre, (a) distribution in the Arabian Peninsula, (b) World distribution. Red = sites of examined specimens. Green = other site records.