Tetramorium obesum, Andre, 1887

Francisco Hita Garcia, T. T. & Fisher, Brian L., 2011, 3039, Zootaxa 3039, pp. 1-72 : 27

Tetramorium obesum species group

Diagnosis

12-segmented antennae; anterior clypeal margin with weak median impression; frontal carinae well-developed, ending between posterior eye margin and posterior head margin, curving down ventrally and forming the posterior scrobe margin; anterior face of mesosoma not developed and mesosomal profile strongly rounded; margination between lateral and dorsal mesosoma present; propodeal spines medium-sized to long and spinose; propodeal lobes triangular and short; petiolar node nodiform; postpetiole roughly rounded; mandibles usually sculptured; cephalic sculpturation well-developed, mostly reticulate-rugose, ground sculpturation of head generally faint or absent; mesosoma and waist segments reticulate-rugose; first gastral tergite unsculptured, smooth, and shiny; all dorsal surfaces with long, erect hairs, usually a mixture of simple and bifid hairs, less commonly including trifid hairs; sting appendage triangular.

Comments

Tetramorium lanuginosum is the only member of the T. obesum group that is present in the Malagasy zoogeographic region, and, it is another well-known and highly successful tramp species ( Bolton, 1976; Wetterer, 2010).

The presence of branched hairs distinguishes T. lanuginosum from all other Malagasy Tetramorium species.