Tetramorium lucayanum Wheeler
Type location Bahamas (Wheeler, 1905b: 100, illustrated);
junior synonyms rectinodis (Menozzi, 1942: 176,
illustrated, worker) from Fernando Po I. (Musola, by H.
Eidmann, 9.ix.1939, in , sexdens (Forel, 1915c: 357,
worker) from Ireland and waelbrokei (as variety of camerunense,
Forel, 1909b: 53, worker) from Zaïre, Kinshasa, by
Waelbroeck; (see Bolton, 1995). Santschi (1914d: 367, Fig. 29)
gave an illustration of T. camerunense waelbroeki
 .
Wheeler's (1905b) description is at
 .
Forel's (1909b) description of waelbroeki is at
 .
Menozzi's (1942) description of rectinodis is at
 .
Brown's (1964b) verification of the type and comparison with West
African forms is at
 .
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 Bolton's
modern descriptions (1979, 1980: 340, illustrated, full-face view,
alitrunk and pedicel profile, pedicel dorsum) are at
and  .
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Nigeria specimens (Taylor, 1980a: 49). WORKER. TL 2.96 mm,
HL 0.72, HW 0.65, SL 0.54, PW 0.45
Sculpturation of longitudinal rugae on all except the
gaster. Erect hairs moderately abundant, long, fine and yellow.
Clypeus with a moderate median carina and slightly emarginate.
Propodeal spines relatively long, narrow, sharp, straight and
pointing upwards; metapleural lobes sharply triangular. Petiole
with a vertical anterior face, right angled junction with the
dorsal face; posterior face slightly sloping from a rounded
junction with the dorsum. Colour very dark red-brown near black, extremities lighter and
shiny.
Moderately common at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria,
Idi Ayunre, probably subarboreal (B. Bolton; B. Taylor, both in
Bolton, 1980). The synonym waelbroeki was used also by
Wheeler (1922) for a variety of camerunense from Lagos (F.
Silvestri). Nests in dead wood on the ground, and in dead wood and
crevices on living trees, including cocoa. Will tend aphids. Also
found on oil palm. Reported as collected at Mokwa in the savannah
area (C. Longhurst) (Bolton, 1980). |
 Bernard
(1952) described it as purely western, from Congo to Ghana. From
Guinea, Bernard (1952) he listed findings, as "T.
camerounense variety waelbroecki" from Mt. Nimba
- 2 workers from B1.28, Ravin I of Mount Tô.
Collected in Ghana at CRIG by Bolton (1980) and Akosombo
(C. Collingwood), later from cocoa at Kade using pkd by Majer
(1975, 1976b), with 3 workers in a single sample; and from leaf
litter in the semi-deciduous forest zone (3 specimens, at Poane
and Kade under cocoa) (Belshaw & Bolton, 1994b). Menozzi's
rectinodis was described in comparison with Tetramorium
fernandensis now synonymised with
Tetramorium
pullulum; colour black with mandibles, antennae and tarsi
brownish. |
 Also
known from Sierra Leone (Buxton, no location); and Guinea,
at Tô (Lamotte) (Bolton, 1980).
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The photomontage is of a specimen from Ghana, collected by
S Sky Stephens, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folder at -
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The photomontage is of a dealate queen from Gabon, Pongara
National Park; Gabon 156; 17-22.v.2006; Winkler Funnel extract of
leaf litter; collected by Yves Braet. Other images can be seen in
the folders at -
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