Tetramorium is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae that includes more than 520 species. These ants are also known as pavement ants.
Taxonomy and phylogeny Tetramorium was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1855 in the same publication as Monomorium.
Revision within the genus by Wagner et al. in 2017 recognized a complex of 10 cryptic species, 3 of which were raised from subspecies classifications and 2 of which were newly described. This revision also elevated the pavement ant introduced to North America as the species T. immigrans rather than the previous designation as a subspecies of T. caespitum. These 10 species in the T. caespitum complex are as follows: Tetramorium alpestre Steiner, Schlick-Steiner & Seifert, 2010 Tetramorium breviscapus Wagner et al., 2017 Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758) Tetramorium caucasicum Wagner et al., 2017 Tetramorium fusciclava Consani & Zangheri, 1952 Tetramorium hungaricum Röszler, 1935 Tetramorium immigrans Santschi, 1927 Tetramorium impurum (Foerster, 1850) Tetramorium indocile Santschi, 1927 Tetramorium staerckei Kratochvíl, 1944
Description Workers of most species have a ridged clypeus, an appendaged stinger, mandibles with 3 or 4 teeth, and antennae with 11 or 12 segments or with 3-segmented clubs on the tips. The genus is divided into several species groups defined by various characters.
Distribution Most species are distributed throughout the Afrotropical and Indomalayan realms. Ten species have been recorded from Japan. One species of pavement ant, T. immigrans, is native to Europe and was probably introduced to North America starting in the 18th century.Jacobs, S. Pavement Ant. Penn State Extension. 2014.
Biology Most known species nest in the soil, in decaying wood, or in leaf litter. Some live in trees or in termite nests.
Species As of February 2026, the genus contains 596 valid species.
Tetramorium aculeatum (Mayr, 1866) Tetramorium adamsi Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium adelphon Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium adpressum (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium aegeum Radchenko, 1992 Tetramorium africanum (Mayr, 1866) Tetramorium agile Arnold, 1960 Tetramorium agna (Santschi, 1935) Tetramorium aherni Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium aisha Mbanyana et al., 2018 Tetramorium akengense (Wheeler, 1922) Tetramorium akermani Arnold, 1926 Tetramorium ala Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium albenae Salata et al., 2023 Tetramorium alii Akbar et al., 2023 Tetramorium alperti Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium alpestre Steiner et al., 2010 Tetramorium alternans Santschi, 1929 Tetramorium altivagans Santschi, 1914 Tetramorium amalae Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012 Tetramorium amatongae Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium amaurum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium ambanizana Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium ambatovy Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium amentete Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium amissum Bolton, 1980= Tetramorium anatolicum Csősz & Schulz, 2007 Tetramorium andohahela Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium andrei Forel, 1892 Tetramorium andrynicum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium angulinode Santschi, 1910 Tetramorium ankarana Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium annectens Pisarski, 1969 Tetramorium anodontion Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium antennatum (Mann, 1919) Tetramorium antipodum Wheeler, 1927 Tetramorium antrema (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium anxium Santschi, 1914 Tetramorium aptum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium argenteopilosum Arnold, 1926 Tetramorium argentirubrum Dietrich, 2004 Tetramorium armatum Santschi, 1927 Tetramorium arnoldi (Forel, 1913) Tetramorium artemis Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium arzi Thome, 1969 Tetramorium asetyum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium aspersum (Smith, 1865) Tetramorium aspina Wagner et al., 2018 Tetramorium aspis Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium ataxium Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium atlante Cagniant, 1970 Tetramorium atratulum (Schenck, 1852) Tetramorium avaratra Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium avium Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium azcatltontlium Marques et al., 2011 Tetramorium barbigerum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium barryi Mathew, 1981 Tetramorium basum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium baufra (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium beesoni (Mukerjee, 1934) Tetramorium belgaense Forel, 1902 Tetramorium bellerophoni Salata & Borowiec, 2017 Tetramorium bellicosum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium bendai Hita Garcia et al., 2010 Tetramorium bequaerti Forel, 1913 Tetramorium berbiculum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium bessonii Forel, 1891 Tetramorium bevisi Arnold, 1958 Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander, 1846) Tetramorium bicolor Viehmeyer, 1914 Tetramorium bicolorum Vásquez-Bolaños, 2007 Tetramorium binghami Akbar et al., 2023 Tetramorium biskrense Forel, 1904 Tetramorium boehmei Hita Garcia et al., 2010 Tetramorium boltoni Hita Garcia et al., 2010 Tetramorium bonibony Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium bothae Forel, 1910 Tetramorium bressleri Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium brevicorne Bondroit, 1918 Tetramorium brevidentatum (Kutter, 1932) Tetramorium breviscapus Wagner et al., 2017 Tetramorium brevispinosum (Stitz, 1910) Tetramorium brigitteae Mbanyana et al., 2018 Tetramorium browni Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium bulawayense Forel, 1913 Tetramorium buschingeri (Lapeva-Gjonova, 2017) Tetramorium buthrum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758) Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857) Tetramorium calidum Forel, 1907 Tetramorium calinum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium camelliae Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium camerunense Mayr, 1895 Tetramorium candidum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium capense Mayr, 1865 Tetramorium capillosum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium capitale (McAreavey, 1949) Tetramorium cardiocarenum Xu & Zheng, 1994 Tetramorium carinatum (Smith, 1859) Tetramorium caritum (Bolton, 1986) Tetramorium caucasicum Wagner et al., 2017 Tetramorium cavernicola Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2015 Tetramorium centum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium chapmani Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium chefketi Forel, 1911 Tetramorium chepocha (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium chloe (Santschi, 1920) Tetramorium christiei Forel, 1902 Tetramorium ciliatum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium clunum Forel, 1913 Tetramorium cognatum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium coillum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium coloreum Mayr, 1901 Tetramorium concaviceps Bursakov, 1984 Tetramorium confusum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium constanciae Arnold, 1917 Tetramorium convexum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium coonoorense Forel, 1902 Tetramorium cordatum Sheela & Narendran, 1998 Tetramorium crepum Wang & Wu, 1988 Tetramorium cristatum Stitz, 1910 Tetramorium critchleyi (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium crypticum (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium cuneinode Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium curtulum Emery, 1895 Tetramorium curvispinosum Mayr, 1897 Tetramorium cyclolobium Xu & Zheng, 1994 Tetramorium cynicum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium dalek Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium davidi Forel, 1911 Tetramorium decamerum (Forel, 1902) Tetramorium decem Forel, 1913 Tetramorium deceptum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium dedefra (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium degener Santschi, 1911 Tetramorium delagoense Forel, 1894 Tetramorium densopilosum Radchenko & Arakelian, 1990 Tetramorium depressiceps Menozzi, 1933 Tetramorium depressum Forel, 1892 Tetramorium desertorum (Forel, 1910) Tetramorium dichroum Santschi, 1932 Tetramorium difficile Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium diligens (Smith, 1865) Tetramorium diomandei Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium diomedeum Emery, 1908 Tetramorium distinctum (Bolton, 1976) Tetramorium do Forel, 1914 Tetramorium dogieli Karavaiev, 1931 Tetramorium dolichosum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium dominum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium doriae Emery, 1881 Tetramorium drunex Fisher, 2025 Tetramorium dumezi Menozzi, 1942 Tetramorium duncani Mbanyana et al., 2018 Tetramorium dunhuangense Chang & He, 2001 Tetramorium dysalum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium dysderke Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium edouardi Forel, 1894 Tetramorium eleates Forel, 1913 Tetramorium electrum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium elf Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium elidisum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium elisabethae Forel, 1904 Tetramorium emeryi Mayr, 1901 Tetramorium eminii (Forel, 1894) Tetramorium enkidu Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium epimyrmoide Báthori et al., 2024 Tetramorium erectum Emery, 1895 Tetramorium ericae Arnold, 1917 Tetramorium etiolatum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium exasperatum Emery, 1891 Tetramorium exile Csősz & Radchenko, 2007 Tetramorium fenix Fisher, 2025 Tetramorium fergusoni Forel, 1902 Tetramorium ferox Ruzsky, 1903 Tetramorium feroxoides Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985 Tetramorium fezzanense Bernard, 1948 Tetramorium flabellum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium flagellatum Bolton, 1977 Tetramorium flaviceps Arnold, 1960 Tetramorium flavidulum Santschi, 1910 Tetramorium flavipes Emery, 1893 Tetramorium flavithorax (Santschi, 1914) Tetramorium flavocostatum Salata et al., 2024 Tetramorium flinex Fisher, 2025 Tetramorium forte Forel, 1904 Tetramorium frenchi Forel, 1914 Tetramorium freya Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium frigidum Arnold, 1926 Tetramorium fulviceps (Emery, 1897) Tetramorium furtivum (Arnold, 1956) Tetramorium fusciclavum Consani & Zangheri, 1952 Tetramorium fuscipes (Viehmeyer, 1925) Tetramorium gabonense (Andre, 1892) Tetramorium galaticum Menozzi, 1936 Tetramorium galoasanum Santschi, 1910 Tetramorium gambogecum (Donisthorpe, 1941) Tetramorium gazense Arnold, 1958 Tetramorium gegaimi Forel, 1916 Tetramorium geminatum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium gestroi (Menozzi, 1933) Tetramorium ghindanum Forel, 1910 Tetramorium gilgamesh Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium glabratum Stitz, 1923 Tetramorium gladius Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium gladstonei Forel, 1913 Tetramorium globulinode (Mayr, 1901) Tetramorium gollum Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium goniommoide Poldi, 1979 Tetramorium gracile Forel, 1894 Tetramorium grandinode Santschi, 1913 Tetramorium granulatum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium grassii Emery, 1895 Tetramorium guangxiense Zhou & Zheng, 1997 Tetramorium guineense (Bernard, 1953) Tetramorium hapale Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium hasinae Yamane & Jaitrong, 2011 Tetramorium hecate Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2013 Tetramorium hector Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium hippocrate Agosti & Collingwood, 1987 Tetramorium hirsutum Collingwood & van Harten, 2005 Tetramorium hispidum (Wheeler, 1915) Tetramorium hitagarciai Akbar et al., 2023 Tetramorium hobbit Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014 Tetramorium hortorum Arnold, 1958 Tetramorium humbloti Forel, 1891 Tetramorium hungaricum Röszler, 1935 Tetramorium ibycterum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium ictidum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium imbelle (Emery, 1915) Tetramorium immigrans Santschi, 1927 Tetramorium impressum (Viehmeyer, 1925) Tetramorium impurum (Foerster, 1850) Tetramorium incruentatum Arnold, 1926 Tetramorium indicum Forel, 1913 Tetramorium indocile Santschi, 1927 Tetramorium indosinense Wheeler, 1927 Tetramorium inerme Mayr, 1877 Tetramorium inezulae (Forel, 1914) Tetramorium infraspinosum Karavaiev, 1935 Tetramorium infraspinum Forel, 1905 Tetramorium inglebyi Forel, 1902 Tetramorium inquilinum Ward et al., 2015 Tetramorium insolens (Smith, 1861) Tetramorium intextum Santschi, 1914 Tetramorium intonsum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium invictum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium isectum Bolton, 1979 Tetramorium isipingense Forel, 1914 Tetramorium isoelectrum Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium jarawa Agavekar et al., 2017 Tetramorium jauresi Forel, 1914 Tetramorium jedi Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Tetramorium jejunum Arnold, 1926 Tetramorium jizani Collingwood, 1985 Tetramorium jordani Santschi, 1937 Tetramorium juba Collingwood, 1985 Tetramorium judas Wheeler & Mann, 1916 Tetramorium jugatum Bolton, 1980 Tetramorium kabulistanicum Pisarski, 1967 Tetramorium kakamega Hita Garcia et al., 2010 Tetramorium kali Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012