Species: Tapinoma melanocephalum   (Fabricius, 1793) 

Current Valid Name:

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2023)

Distribution:

Distribution Notes:

Biology:

This is a widespread tropical tramp species, introduced throughout the world. Its native range is unknown. It is ubiquitous in non-airconditioned dwellings anywhere in the lowland tropics. Regardless of whether you are in Guinea, New Guinea, or Guyana, if you are sitting at a table with a sugar dispenser you are likely to see workers of T. melanocephalum running about on the surface. They always seem to be able to find their way into the sugar container, and sugar on tropical tables always contains some non-negligible fraction of T. melanocephalum workers. When you put a spoonful of sugar in your drink, you can judge the level of contamination by how many workers are left floating on the surface.

In quantitative biodiversity surveys, this species often has to be excluded from data analysis because the laboratory where samples are processed contains T. melanocephalum as a pest, and contamination of samples occurs.

Although most often found in houses, they can also move out into surrounding vegetation in highly disturbed and highly insolated habitats, opportunistically nesting in small plant cavities. Nests readily relocate, and overnight they can move into a shoe or an umbrella left on a porch.

Comments:

Notes:

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 35 times found in urban/garden, 52 times found in mature wet forest, 35 times found in coastal scrub, 36 times found in rainforest, 24 times found in plant nursery, 13 times found in urban garden, 10 times found in secondary thicket and diverse vegetation, 8 times found in tropical dry forest, 10 times found in littoral rainforest, 0 times found in USDA ARS Fire Ant Lab in culture, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 89 times on low vegetation, 78 times ex sifted leaf litter, 61 times malaise trap, 20 times ex dead twig above ground, 11 times ex rotten log, 16 times ground forager(s), 12 times under tree bark, live tree, 12 times sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), 9 times under stone, 2 times Foraging on ground, 5 times dead wood, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 71 times MiniWinkler, 62 times M, 15 times Berlese, 7 times H, 15 times Winkler, 13 times search, 13 times beatting, 10 times Hand, 8 times hand collecting, 5 times hand collection, 8 times MW 50 sample transect, 5m, ...

Elevations: collected from 1 - 2000 meters, 164 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1905-09-01 00:00:00.0 and 2022-08-11 00:00:00.0

Type specimens: Not Provided: casent0171078, casent0175761, casent0175832, casent0175833, casent0177052, casent0177057, casent0177069, casent0177084, casent0177100, casent0177101, casent0177102, casent0177103, casent0177105, casent0177106, casent0177107, casent0177109, casent0177110, casent0177111, casent0177112, casent0177113, casent0177114, casent0177115, casent0177116, casent0177117, casent0177118, casent0177119, casent0177120, casent0177121, casent0177123, casent0177124, casent0177125, casent0177126, casent0177128, casent0177130, casent0177131, casent0177132, casent0177133, casent0177134, casent0177136, casent0177137, casent0177138, casent0177139, casent0177140, casent0177142, casent0177143, casent0177144, casent0177145, casent0177149, casent0177150, casent0177151, casent0177152, casent0177153, casent0177155, casent0177156, casent0177157, casent0177158, casent0177159, casent0177160, casent0177161, casent0177162, casent0177163, casent0177165, casent0177168, casent0177169, casent0177171, casent0177172, casent0177173, casent0177174, casent0177175, casent0177177, casent0177178, casent0177180, casent0177181, casent0177182, casent0177184, casent0177185, casent0177186, casent0177187, casent0177188, casent0177190, casent0177191, casent0177192, casent0177193, casent0177195, casent0177196, casent0177197, casent0177200, casent0177207, casent0177215, casent0177219, casent0177224, casent0177230, casent0177231, casent0177234, casent0177401, casent0177438, casent0177451, casent0177528, casent0186572, casent0186902, casent0186990, casent0248955, casent0248956, casent0248957, casent0714323, casent0714324, casent0714325, casent0714326, casent0714327, casent0714328, casent0714329, casent0714330, casent0741829, casent0742313, casent0742316, casent0742344, casent0742346; syntype of Myrmica pellucida: casent0901925; syntype of Myrmica pellucida: casent0903062; syntype of Tapinoma melanocephalum australis: casent0911572; syntype of Tapinoma melanocephalum coronatum: casent0909775; syntype of Tapinoma melanocephalum malesianum: casent0909776; syntype of Tapinoma melanocephalum australe: casent0903063