Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870

Hamer, Matthew T., Lee, Jonathan Hon Chung, Tse, Cheung Yau Leo, Silva, Thiago S. R. & Guénard, Benoit, 2022, Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy, Asian Myrmecology (e 015006) 15, pp. 1-152 : 109-110

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.20362/am.015006
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15474473
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B68783-3139-FFC8-FD4B-7B83FDE1FCD7
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870
status

Treatment

Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870 View in CoL

Material examined. Kent Ridge Park , 11 Jan 2014, Sk. Yamane leg., ex. leaf litter, SG14- SKY-56 ( SKYC); Kranji Road, 1 Nov 2016, G.W. Yong leg., ZRC _ ENT00048416 View Materials ; queen and worker, Pulau Tekukor , 24 Jun 2017, G.W. Yong leg., ZRC _ ENT00048413 View Materials ; Sisters’ Island, 9 Dec 2016, G.W. Yong leg., ZRC _ ENT00027977 View Materials ; Yishun wasteland, 1.42078, 103.84934, 21 Feb 2016, M.K.L. Wong leg., ZRC _ ENT00000698 View Materials GoogleMaps .

Material not physically examined. Type alate queen, FOCOL2063 ( ZMHB) [as Triglyphothrix lanuginosa ]. Non-types, J.K. Wetterer leg. ( USNM) – Buona Vista, by MRT station, 5 Aug 2014, vial #486; City Hall, by church, 29 Jul 2014, vial #374; Dhoby Ghaut, Istana Park , 30 Jul 2014, vial #403; Harbourfront , 29 Jul 2014, vial #385; Hougang , 30 Jul 2014, vial #401; Kallang , Riverside Park , 29 Jul 2014, vial #372; Katong , Jul-Aug 2014, vials #348, 442; Kent Ridge , 31 Jul 2014, vials #426, 431; Marine Parade , 28 Jul 2014, vials #358, 368; Outram Park , by MRT station, 29 Jul 2014, vial #379; Pasir Panjang , by MRT station, 5 Aug 2014, vial #482; Promenade , by MRT station, 4 Aug 2014, vial #468; Punggol Point , 30 Jul 2014, vial #397; Queenstown , 29 Jul 2014, vial #383; Serangoon , 30 Jul 2014, vial #389 .

Literature. Viehmeyer (1916), Overbeck (1924) [both as Triglyphothrix lanuginosa and T. striatidens ]. Wheeler (1929) [as type of Triglyphothrix striatidens flavescens ]; Bolton (1976) [as Triglyphothrix lanuginosa ].

Localities. Bukit Timah Road; Buona Vista; City Hall; Dhoby Ghaut; Harbourfront; Hougang; Katong; Kent Ridge; Kranji Road; Marine Parade; Outram Park; Pasir Panjang; Promenade; Pulau Tekukor; Punggol Point; Queenstown; Riverside Park (Kallang); Serangoon; Sisters’ Island; Yishun wasteland.

Habitat/Ecology. This species was collected mainly from young secondary habitats, including waste woodland forest fragments in urban or semi-urban settings, and scrubland on offshore islands. The ants were also found nesting in a hollow spot under the bottom of a flower stand in a garden. Foragers were often also found in plantings, bases of trees, or gardens close to man-made infrastructure.

Remarks. Tetramorium lanuginosum is a recognized globally widespread tramp species commonly known as the wooly ant, suspected to have been mainly dispersed through human commerce ( Wetterer 2010). Its native range remains a point of contention, though some believe it is native to tropical Asia, or more specifically tropical and subtropical East Asia. The type queen of the species was originally described from Singaporeas ‘ Triglyphothrix lanuginosa ’ (see Viehmeyer 1916).