Tetramorium gabonense (André)

Type location Gabon (Triglyphothrix gabonensis, André, 1892a: 53, all forms) collected by Mocquerys; junior synonyms areolatus (Stitz, 1910: 142, illustrated, worker) from Cameroun, collected at Bibundi, by Tessmann, and kamerunensis (Santschi, 1937b: 102, worker) from Cameroun, boulognei (Forel, 1916: 423, worker) from Zaïre, collected by H Kohl; burgeoni (Santschi, 1935a: 265, worker) from Zaïre, collected at Haut Uélé, Moto, by L. Burgeon, 1920; and mucidus (Forel, 1909b: 71, worker) from Zaïre, collected at Kasai, Sankuru, by Luja; and soyauxi (Forel, 1901: 53, worker) from Gabon, collected at Ssibange, by Soyaux; (see Bolton, 1995, including name re-spelling) .

André's (1892a) description is at . Forel's (1901h) description of soyauxi is at . Forel's (1909b) description of mucidus is at . Stitz's (1910) description of areolatus is at . Forel's (1916) description of boulognei is at . Santschi's (1935a) description of burgeoni is at . Santschi's (1937b) description of kamerunensis is at . Bolton's modern description (1976) is at .

WORKER - TL 3.8-4.6 mm; one of the largest species with branched hairs, all over densely clothed and those on gaster quadrifid. Has long propodeal spines (Bolton, 1976, alitrunk profile illustrated).

Most records are from Gabon east- and southwards. Known from Cameroun, at Bibundi (areolatus, Tessmann, 15-30.iv.1905), Buea, Kamerunberg (Mt. Cameroun, kamerunensis, F. Zumpt, 12.xi.1935), at Ikiliwindi (C.A. Collingwood), Mt. Kala (G. Terron) and Matute (B. Malkin) (Bolton, 1976); also Mundame (Conradt, in Wheeler, 1922).

As Triglyphothrix areolata and variety burgeoni, it was recorded by Santschi (1935) from six locations in Zaïre. He described them as smaller than the type. Black brown with appendages and base of gaster redder, sculpturation better defined, with median rugae on head reaching the vertex; pilosity long, white and very dense.

Forel (1909b) regarded mucidus as easily distinguished from gabonense by virtue of the stronger sculpturation giving a matte appearance (Bolton has gabonense as usually finely and superficially rugulose and shining) plus its very dense polyfid pilosity exceeding all the genus (Triglyphothrix) members; also the form of the head [which appears to have more distinct scrobes; although Bolton claimed to have examined the mucidus specimens]. Forel gave the colour as brown black, with the pedicel lighter and the appendages, clypeus and frontal carina rust.