Tetramorium cristatum Stitz

Type location Togo (Tetramorium guineense F. v. cristatum n.v., Stitz, 1910: 144, worker; raised to species by Bolton, 1980) collected at Bismarckburg, by L. Conradt - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
junior synonym medje  (Tetramorium guineense (Fabricius) subspecies medje new subspecies, Wheeler, 1922: 192) from Zaïre, Medje, by Lang & Chapin, from stomach of a toad - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
unavailable name ebangense (T. guinense F. stirps cristatum Stitz v. ebangense n. v., Santschi, 1937d: 235, illustrated, worker) from Angola, Ebanga - see below
(see Bolton, 1995); worker only described .

Stitz's (1910) description is at Santschi's (1937d) description of ebangense is at Bolton's modern description (1980) is at .

WORKER - TL 4.1-5.1 mm; distinctively coloured, with head, alitrunk and pedicel orange-yellow to glossy orange-brown, gaster always much darker, dark brown to blackish brown (Bolton, 1980: 268, illustrated).

Wheeler (1922) listed it twice as cristatum and, wrongly, as striatum (from Zimbabwe, reflecting an error by Arnold).

Findings listed by Bolton (1980) include Ivory Coast, at Sipilou (J. Lévieux); Ghana, at Legon (D. Leston); Guinea, Mt. Nimba, Thio (Lamotte); plus Uganda, Buwalasi Forest (J C Bradley); South Sudan, Imatomg Mts., N A Weber; Zaïre, Lubelu, E S Ross & R E Leech. The locations suggest it is a savannah species.

The Guinea findings were recorded by Bernard (1952) as, although not identical, being Tetramorium guineense Fabricius, similar to the congolese forms ssp. medje, 1 worker from savanna at Kéoulenta, and ssp. cristatum, one worker from Thio. The latter he noted as TL 4.3 mm, near the maximum known for "T. guineense" and with a head more rounded and the petiole more angular. The distribution he gave as tropicopolitan, very variable and rare here. In terms of nomenclature, the name Tetramorium guineense now applies to a synonymization of a Xiphomyrmex species (also collected at Mt. Nimba, and recorded by Bernard). The Tetramorium guineense of Fabricius (as Formica guineensis, 1793; transferred to Tetramorium by Mayr (1862) is now regarded as Pheidole guineensis.

The photomontage of the ebangaense type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0915002.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Tetramorium cristatum B Taylor det.	Sudan J Mathews JM 384	19.x.2001 Abu Gmein, Blue Nile 11°21' N 34°27' E	pyrethrum fogging of Acacia senegal	2
Tetramorium cristatum B Taylor det.	Sudan J Mathews JM 385	19.x.2001 Abu Gmein, Blue Nile 11°21' N 34°27' E	pyrethrum fogging of Acacia senegal	1
Tetramorium cristatum B Taylor det.	Sudan J Mathews JM 390	19.x.2001 Abu Gmein, Blue Nile 11°21' N 34°27' E	pyrethrum fogging of Acacia senegal	1

The photomontage is of a worker from Sudan, Abu Gmein, Blue Nile; collector J Mathews (JM 384).

The photomontage is of a worker from Sudan, Abu Gmein; collector J Mathews (JM 390).

The photomontage of a worker in the BMNH from Zimbabwe is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0217966
Not listed by Bolton (1980).