Tetramorium bicarinatum

3 Comments / Ants, Nature / By

All this talk about copyright infringement is a real downer. It’s time to perk things up with pretty ants:

Tetramorium bicarinatum workers gather nectar from glands of an invasive mallow. Some plants use nectar to attract ants as a defense against herbivorous insects, as ants also eat insect eggs and caterpillars. (Orlando, Florida, USA)
A more field-guidey shot of T. bicarinatum. This ant is presumably native to Asia, but thanks to global trade is now found in warmer climates worldwide.

3 thoughts on “Tetramorium bicarinatum”

  1. Brian Taylor

    Sorry but there is no evidence that T. bicarinatum is native to Africa. Bolton (1980) wrote of only a single record from Africa and that was “an obvious introduction”. Mostafa Sharaf has collected workers in Egypt and Antweb has photos of a worker from Madagascar.

    Reply
    1. myrmecos

      Thanks for your comment, Brian. I stand corrected!

      Bolton (1979) writes:

      T. bicarinatum is a highly successful tramp species which appears to have originated in SE Asia.

      Perhaps because the bicarinatum species group is found both in Africa & Asia, I’d gotten it lodged in my head that this was an African species.

      Reply

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