Tetramorium guineense (Bernard)

Type location Guinea (Xyphomyrmex weitzeckeri Em., race guineensis n. sbsp., Bernard, 1952: 251, illustrated, worker) from Mt. Nimba, Nion Forest, at 700 m, one worker (as Xiphomyrmex weitzeckeri race guineensis, by Lamotte); also one worker from Nimba north-east forest by Villiers .

Bernard's limited note (1952) is at . Bolton's modern description (1980) is at .

Note The "Tetramorium guineense" listed by Wheeler (1922), as originally Formica guineensis Fabricius 1793, is defined as Pheidole guineensis by Bolton (1977, see, Bolton, 1995).

WORKER - TL 2.9-3.7 mm; head with very coarse reticulate-punctate ground sculpture, including in the antennal scrobe. Postpetiole rounded in profile, much thicker than the petiole. Postpetiole without a carina but with two deep concave impressions. All dorsal surfaces with numerous elongate simple hairs. Colour deep glossy brown or reddish brown, often the gaster darker, sometimes nearly black (after Bernard, 1952; and Bolton, 1980, illustrated, alitrunk and pedicel).

Included in the revision of Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters (2010). They confirm the variation in colour.

The photomontage of the holotype from Guinea is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0101479.

Bolton (1980) described it as only from the rain forest zones of West and Central Africa. He listed findings from Liberia, at Reputa (W.M. Mann); and Ivory Coast, at Divo (L. Brader) and Tai Forest (T. Diomande). From Nigeria, he collected it at CRIN, but no examples were in the CRIN collection.

Early Ghana findings were from CRIG (B. Bolton), Begoro and Mt. Atewa (C. A. Collingwood), Kibi (D. Leston) and Kade (J. Majer). Also as Tetramorium guineense?, in cocoa leaf litter and once from his insolated canopy survey by Room (1971). Since found in leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b) in Ghana, where they describe it as widespread (417 workers from 10 sites). Known as a tramp species (Bolton & Collingwood, 1975).

Nests are constructed in rotten stumps or dead logs still with bark, and workers forage on the leaf litter, being predaceous and attacking any soft-bodied arthropods, including Pheidole ants (Bolton, 1980).

Oxford University Museum specimens

Tetramorium guineense B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Tetramorium spJ	21.ix.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"	Quadrat in fallow	1
Tetramorium guineense B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Tetramorium spO	17.i.2008 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"	Quadrat in fallow	1
Tetramorium guineense B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Tetramorium guineense	30.xi.2005 Mangomo 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"	Aspirator	1
Tetramorium guineense B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Sample 59	28.vii.2010 Nko’ondo 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"		1
Tetramorium guineense B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer Camp 1C	12-18.x.2008 Dzanga-Sangha NP 03°03'58.3" N 16°08'59.6" E	Camp 1; 528 m; Ayous Barber campement	1

The photomontage is of a specimen from Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR Camp 1).

The photomontage is of a worker from Cameroun; Nko'ondo; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk unmounted 59);

The photomontage is of a worker from Cameroun; Mengomo; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk tetramorium guineense).