Species: Tetramorium simillimum

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2018)

Myrmica simillima Smith, 1851 PDF: 118 (w.) GREAT BRITAIN. Palearctic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Meinert, 1861: 331 (gynandromorph); André, 1883a: 289 (q.m.); Imai, Baroni Urbani, et al. 1984: 8 (k.).

Combination in Tetramorium: Mayr, 1861 PDF: 61.

Senior synonym of Tetramorium pygmaeum: Forel, 1916 PDF: 421; of Tetramorium auropunctata brevispinosa: Borgmeier, 1937b PDF: 241; of Tetramorium simillimum insulare: Yarrow, 1967 PDF: 28; of Tetramorium simillimum denticulatum, Tetramorium simillimum opacior, Tetramorium parallela: Bolton, 1977 PDF: 131; of Tetramorium pusillum bantouana, Tetramorium pusillum exoleta and material of the unavailable name Tetramorium breve referred here: Bolton, 1980 PDF: 320.

Distribution:

(According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists) Species is native to: Afrotropical bioregion (based on species list records).

Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Australasia Region: Australia, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu
Indomalaya Region: Bangladesh, Borneo, India, Indonesia, Krakatau Islands, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Malagasy Region: Comoros, Europa Island, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion, Seychelles
Nearctic Region: Canada, United States
Neotropical Region: Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
Oceania Region: Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna
Palearctic Region: China, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Macaronesia, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Yemen

Distribution Notes:

Reference for Kenya if not type: Santschi 1914b

Biology:

Natural History:

Tetramorium simillimum is an uncommon tramp species in Costa Rica. I have only collected it once in Costa Rica, on a picnic table at the headquarters of Santa Rosa National Park.

Comments:

Introduced species. CA record: Bolton (1979: 171).

Notes:

Caste of types: (w)

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Scientific Name	Status	Publication	Pages	ModsID	GoogleMaps
Tetramorium simillimum		Wild, A. L., 2007, A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1622, pp. 1-55: 38, (download)	38	21367
Tetramorium simillimum		Collingwood, C. A., 1979, The Formicidae (Hymenoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark., Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 8, pp. 1-174: 85, (download)	85	6175
Tetramorium simillimum		Wheeler, W. M., 1922, The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition., Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45, pp. 39-269: 193, (download)	193	20597
Tetramorium simillimum		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: 170-171, (download)	170-171	6435
Tetramorium simillimum		Forel, A., 1893, Formicides de l'Antille St. Vincent. Récoltées par Mons. H. H. Smith., Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1893, pp. 333-418: 382-383, (download)	382-383	3948
Tetramorium simillimum		Ward, P. S., 2005, A synoptic review of the ants of California (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 936, pp. 1-68: -1, (download)	-1	21008
Tetramorium simillimum		Forel, A., 1907, The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean in 1905, under the leadership of Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner. No. VI. - Fourmis des Seychelles, Amirantes, Farquhar et Chagos., Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 12, pp. 91-94: -1, (download)	-1	4010
Tetramorium (Tetrogmus) simillimum		Santschi, F., 1914, Formicidae., Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale (1911 - 1912). Résultats scientifiques. Hyménoptères 2, pp. 41-148: 106, (download)	106	8111

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 47 times found in tropical dry forest, 37 times found in urban/garden, 23 times found in coastal scrub, 16 times found in rainforest, 6 times found in port of entry/city, 23 times found in forest, 18 times found in mixed forest, 15 times found in urban garden, 10 times found in spiny forest/thicket, 7 times found in tropical dry forest on Tsingy, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 57 times sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), 52 times ground forager(s), 43 times ex rotten log, 23 times under stone, 16 times on low vegetation, 13 times under rootmat, litter on rock, 9 times sifted litter, 11 times under tree bark, live tree, 2 times foraging on ground, 5 times ex rotten stick on ground, 8 times leaf litter, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 30 times MW 50 sample transect, 5m, 9 times H, 15 times aspirating; PB bait, 7 times 9 MaxiWinks, mixed samples, 11 times winkler, 10 times MW 25 sample transect, 5m, 14 times Hand Collected, 7 times L, 11 times Pitfall Trap, 2 times 2 Maxi Winks, 2 times aspirating, ...

Elevations: collected from 1 - 1690 meters, 241 meters average

Type specimens: Holotype: casent0249091, casent0249092, casent0249093; not part of type series: casent0915079; syntype of Tetramorium pusillum bantouana: casent0915080; syntype of Tetramorium pusillum bantuala breve: casent0915081; syntype of Tetramorium pygmaeum: casent0904832; syntype of Tetramorium simillimum denticulatum: casent0909115; syntype of Wasmannia auropunctata brevispinosa: casent0915082; type of Tetramorium simillimum var. opacior: focol2100

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Species: Tetramorium simillimum (Smith, 1851)

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