Teleutomyrmex kutteri
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Teleutomyrmex kutteri faces severe threats from habitat fragmentation and degradation of alpine meadows due to climate change and human development. The species' highly specialized parasitic lifestyle makes it extremely vulnerable to disruptions in host ant populations, particularly Tetramorium species. Climate warming is causing upward shifts in vegetation zones, reducing the availability of suitable high-altitude habitats where both the species and its hosts can survive.
Habitat
This rare ant species inhabits high-altitude alpine meadows and grasslands in the European Alps, typically found at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters. It requires specific microhabitats where its host ant species, primarily Tetramorium caespitum, maintain established colonies in rocky, well-drained soils.
