Tetramorium minimum (Bolton)

Type location Ghana (Triglyphothrix minima, Bolton, 1976: 330, not illustrated, worker; Bolton, 1995, including re-spelling). .

Holotype worker and two paratype workers from a termite nest at Kumasi in Ghana (B. Bolton, 15.i.1969) . Otherwise collected from leaf litter in the semi-deciduous forest zone, where it was widespread (368 workers from 15 sites), by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b). Probably the Triglyphothrix sp. G of Room (1971), from cocoa leaf litter at Mampong Cemetery farm (finding listed by Bolton, 1976). From Nigeria he listed a single finding of one worker at IITA (B. Critchley, vii.1974). I found it at CRIN on the ground and lower parts of a cocoa tree, possibly tending Homoptera. Three series of workers from Ivory Coast, at Abidjan, Banco Forest (W.L. Brown, i.1963) appeared to be less sculptured variants (Bolton, 1976).

Bolton's description (1976) is at .

WORKER - Nigeria specimen, drawn - TL 1.77 mm, HL 0.44, HW 0.40, SL 0.31, PW 0.30 (TL 1.7-2.0 in Bolton, 1976; in my guide as Triglyphothrix species T¹). Others: TL 1.7-2.0 mm (Bolton, 1976, not illustrated)
Colour dark brown near black, legs and antennae yellow. Head, alitrunk and pedicel coarsely but faintly rugoreticulate. Erect hairs relatively sparse, mostly bifid, but simple on the gaster. Antennal scrobes well defined. Propodeal spines short, upturned and triangular; metapleural lobes not distinct. Petiole with distinct anterior and posterior faces, a short peduncle, dorsal face convex with a distinct medial crest. Moderate triangular subpetiolar tooth.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Gabon, Pongara National Park; Gabon 136 & 137; 8.viii.2006; Winkler Funnel extract of riverine leaf litter; collected by Yves Braet, 2006.

Other images can be seen in the folders at - and

The photomontage is of a specimen from Congo, Brazzaville; samples t 1.5 & t 1.6; 24 h pitfall trapping; 19.viii.2007; collected by Yves Braet & Eric Nzassi, . Other images can be seen in the folders at - and