Tetramorium semilaeve André

Type location Mediterranean Region (Tetramorium caespitum var. semilaeve nov. var., André, 1883a: 286, worker; Emery, 1891b: 2, queen; Forel, 1902a: 148, male; raised to species first by Dalla Torre, 1893: 134; also Bondroit, 1918: 109).

André's (1883a) description is among the "Tetramorium caespitum" varieties at Bondroit's (1918) note is at .

Egypt records - Mohamed et al (2001, illustrated);
Sharaf list - Material examined: Wadi El-Talaa, St.Catherine (South Sinai), 15.xi.1998 (2); Wadi El-Talaa, St.Catherine (South Sinai), 19.ii.1998 (2); Wadi El-Arbaein, St.Catherine (South Sinai), 3.iv.1998 (8) (SHC); Sahab (South Sinai), 14.xi.1998 (1) Leg.M.R.Sharaf (ASUC).

This is somewhat similar to the Sinai specimens collected by M James and diagnosed by BT as Tetramorium schmidti but that clearly has more numerous erect hairs on the alitrunk dorsum and is yellow.

This was earlier diagnosed as Tetramorium brevicorne by Mohamed et al (2001, illustrated) but the paper by Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz (1999) shows that to have been an error. Sanetra et al. found that the scape length is not a reliable distinction for separating workers from caespitum and the sculpturation of the petiole nodes was a better characteristic. On brevicorne the postpetiole has more or less evenly distributed reticulate microsculpture; on caespitum this is restricted to, at the most, the more basal part of the node; also the occiput on brevicorne often has rugosity developed into a conspicuous arched pattern.

The photomontage is of a specimen from among those listed above as collected by Mostafa Sharaf. Note the wholly smooth petiole and postpetiole, whereas the head and dorsal alitrunk are finely but weakly striate. Other images can be seen in the folder at .