Tapinoma indicum Forel, 1895

Material examined. Alates, University Town (NUS), 1.306222°N, 103.774583°E, 20- 27 May 2015, M.S. Foo and W. Wang leg., malaise trap, ZRC _ BDP0045129 ; same locality and collectors as previous, 1-8 Jul 2015, malaise trap, ZRC _ BDP0045948; Prince George’s Park Residences (NUS), 1.292389°N, 103.778694°E, 17-24 Jun 2015, M.S. Foo and W. Wang leg., malaise trap, ZRC _ BDP0044384 .

Material not physically examined. Unknown.

Literature. Viehmeyer (1916), Overbeck (1924).

Localities. Bukit Timah Road; Prince George’s Park Residences, University Town (both part of the National University of Singapore campus).

Habitat/Ecology. This species was found in a garden - colony in decaying wood on the ground, in tree stumps slightly above ground surface, nesting between stem and loose bark, closed up with earth. Alates were found in disturbed secondary or wasteland forest patches, also grassy patches adjoining urban human dwellings.

Remarks. Species similar to T. melanocephalum, but may be differentiated partly by its generally lighter brown (head and mesosoma not blackish as in the latter) and relatively more uniform body colour. The two species can also be distinguished based on funicular segments – the third funicular segment (numbered from the basalmost segment) in T. indicum is wider than long, whereas in T. melanocephalum the same segment is distinctly longer than wide. In addition, funicular segments 4-8 of T. indicum are each at least as wide as long, while in T. melanochepalum these segments are clearly longer than wide.