Tapinoma luteum (Emery)

Type location South Africa (Technomyrmex luteus, Emery, 1895h: 43, worker; Mayr, 1907b: 18, queen; in Tapinoma, Mayr, 1907b: 18); subspecies emeryi (Forel, 1910e: 447, queen & male) from South Africa; all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Emery's description (1895h) is at . Mayr's description (1907b) is at . Forel's description (1910e) of emeryi worker and male is at .

Arnold (1915: 152) translated Emery's description (1895h) as -
"Worker - TL 2 mm; pale flavous, dull, with very fine and pale pubescence. Erect hairs only on the clypeus and mandibles. Head a little longer than wide; clypeus widely emarginate in the middle. The scape extends beyond the occipital margin by about one-quarter of its own length; declivity of propodeum more than twice as long as its dorsum. Makapan (Simon)".
On emery (Forel), Arnold had -
"Worker - TL 2.7-3 mm; flavous, posterior region of head and posterior of gaster more or less brownish yellow. Sub-opaque, the sides of the thorax slightly shining, microscopically rugulose. Pubescence whitish, very fine and short. Pilous hairs absent. Very similar to Technomyrmex albipes but differing in the following structural characters.
The head is proportionately wider, and is longer than wide; the frontal carinae are shorter and less divergent posteriorly, the scape is relatively longer. The mesonotum is not highest in the middle but at its anterior margin, sloping thence in a gradual curve to the metanotal suture. The propodeal dorsum is longer and narrower. The petiole is shorter and narrower. The gaster widens towards the apex. The eyes are larger, and the clypeus only feebly sinuate in the middle of the anterior margin".

Wheeler (1922) listed findings from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya.

Bernard (1952) reported it from Guinea; several workers from Mt. Nimba, Stations T 32, Zouépo, T 187 and T 5, 1300 m (Lamotte); previously known only from eastern and southern Africa; specimens with a lower thoracic profile than types.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve, 3°54.75' S 37°48.58' E, pkd collection from Dichrostachys cinerea, 10.iv.1995, by G McGavin. Other images can be seen in the folder at -