Tetramorium zambezium Santschi
Type location Zimbabwe (Santschi, 1939b: 244, worker),
Rhodesia, Victoria Falls, ix.1917, G. Arnold; worker only
described. In Bolton (1995: 416) as revived status
 .
Santschi's (1939b) description is at
 .
Bolton's modern description (1980) under delagoense is at
 .
WORKER - TL 2.33 mm, HL 0.56, HW 0.48, SL 0.44, PW 0.34 (Bolton,
1980, has TL 2.1-2.9 mm; illustrated part full-face view; in my
guide as Tetramorium species M)
Not drawn by me but morphologically very similar to T.
simillimum - the diagnostic difference being the presence of a
single stiff hair projecting anteriorly immediately behind the
eye. Colour very dark yellow-brown, with lighter extremities.
Head, alitrunk and pedicel reticulopunctate with longitudinal
rugae on dorsal surfaces. Erect setae more abundant and longer,
especially on the alitrunk. Propodeal spines short, upturned and
triangular. Petiole node as in simillimum.
Note this has been separated from
Tetramorium
delagoense with which it was synonymized by Bolton
(1980) but revived and used by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b), who
found no "delagoense" and abundant "zambesium";
and listed in the new catalogue, as "revived status"
(Bolton, 1995: 416). Also revived from synonymy with delagoense
was Tetramorium
intextum (from Kenya and Zimbabwe).
Bolton (1980) described delagoense as a variable species
with a wide distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, but for zambesium,
apparently the forests of West and Central Africa seems a closer
definition and refers to the "black or blackish-brown
specimens".
In Nigeria, it nests in the ground and we found it on
the lower parts of cocoa tending aphids at CRIN. Bolton (1980)
also listed collections at CRIN (himself), IITA (B.R. Critchley)
and Ile Ife (J.T. Medler).
From Ghana, Bolton (1980) listed the finding by Room
(1971) (as Tetramorium sp. M) in leaf litter and dead wood
on the ground under cocoa at the Mampong Cemetery site, and others
at Aburi (D. Leston) and CRIG (himself). Belshaw & Bolton
(1994b) list Tetramorium zambesium as widespread (2293
workers from 17 sites) in leaf litter.
Also from Ivory Coast at Lamto (W.H. Gotwald & R.
Schaefer). |
The photomontage is of a specimen from Congo, Brazzaville;
Congo t 1.7; 19.viii.2007; 24 h pitfall trap; collected by Yves
Braet & Eric Nzassi, 19.viii.2007. Other images can be seen in
the folders at - 
The photomontage is of a specimen from Congo, Brazzaville;
Congo t 1.13; 19.viii.2007; 24 h pitfall trap; collected by Yves
Braet & Eric Nzassi, 19.viii.2007. Other images can be seen in
the folder at -