Tetramorium flavithorax

Tetramorium flavithorax appears to be restricted to the rain forests of Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria, where it commonly and abundantly occurs in the forest leaf litter.

Identification
The eye-catching coloration of Tetramorium flavithorax, with black head, waist segments, and gaster that strongly contrast with the whitish-yellowish mesosoma and appendages, makes it easily recognizable within the species group.

A member of the Afrotropical muralti species complex, which is part of the weitzeckeri species group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast.

Nomenclature

 *  flavithorax. Xiphomyrmex muralti st. flavithorax Santschi, 1914d: 369, fig. 31 (w.) GHANA. Combination in Tetramorium: Bolton, 1980: 226. Raised to species: Bolton, 1980: 226. See also: Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010b: 45.

Worker
Hita Garcia et al. (2010) - HL 0.500 - 0.544 (0.521); HW 0.467 - 0.522 (0.493); SL 0.317 - 0.367 (0.339); EL 0.122 - 0.133 (0.128); PW 0.372 - 0.411 (0.389); WL 0.544 - 0.600 (0.580); PSL 0.144 - 0.183 (0.168); PTL 0.067 - 0.089 (0.079); PTH 0.200 - 0.256 (0.224); PTW 0.189 - 0.233 (0.215); PPL 0.111 - 0.144 (0.127); PPH 0.194 - 0.244 (0.213); PPW 0.222 - 0.278 (0.253); CI 92 - 97 (95); SI 66 - 73 (69); OI 24 - 28 (26); PSLI 29 - 36 (32); PeNI 51 - 62 (55 ); LPeI 31 - 42 (35); DPeI 260 - 286 (272); PpNI 60 - 69 (65); LPpI 54 - 69 (59); DPpI 192 - 209 (200); PPI 107 - 126 (118) (25 measured).

Head longer than wide (CI 92 - 97). Anterior clypeal margin entire. Frontal carinae strongly developed and sinuate, shortly before posterior margin of head curving down ventrally to form the posterior and ventral margin of antennal scrobe. Scrobe well-developed, broad and relatively deep, with distinct sharp margin all around. Antennal scape short (SI 66 - 73). Eyes moderate to large (OI 24 - 28), with 7 to 9 ommatidia in longest row. Metanotal groove in profile never impressed. Propodeal spines long, spinose with an acute apex (PSLI 29 - 36). Propodeal lobes small and triangular with a very broad base. Petiolar node squamiform, in dorsal view between 2.5 and 3 times wider than long (DPeI 260 - 286) and in lateral view between 2.4 to 3.2 times higher than long (LPeI 31 - 42). Postpetiole usually sharply cuneiform, sometimes rounded cuneiform, in dorsal view around twice as wide as long (DPpI 192 - 209); in profile around 1.4 to 1.9 times higher than long (LPpI 54 - 69). Mandibles unsculptured, smooth and shiny. Clypeus with 3 longitudinal rugae, median ruga always strongly developed, lateral rugae variable. Head unsculptured except for 1 median longitudinal ruga between frontal carinae and 1 median longitudinal ruga anteriorly within the antennal scrobe, the latter usually reaching posterior eye level, rarely traces of short rugulae present between median ruga and frontal carinae. Dorsum of mesosoma with 4 to 6 very fine longitudinal, widely spaced rugulae; lateral mesosoma mostly unsculptured. Ground sculpturation on head and mesosoma smooth and shiny. Both waist segments and gaster completely unsculptured, smooth and shiny. All dorsal body surfaces with simple, fine, long, and erect hairs. Fine pubescence on tibiae and antennal scapes appressed to decumbent. Head, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster very dark brown to black contrasting with whitish-yellowish mesosoma and appendages.

Type Material
Hita Garcia et al. (2010) - Holotype worker, GHANA, Aburi, leg. F. Silvestri [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3: 5-16.
 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 3: 5-16.
 * Bolton B. 1980. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 40: 193-384.
 * Field Museum Collection, Chicago, Illinois (C. Moreau)
 * Hita Garcia F., G. Fischer, and M. K. Peters. 2010. Taxonomy of the Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical zoogeographical region. Zootaxa 2704: 1-90.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Kone M., S. Konate, K. Yeo, P. K. Kouassi, K. E. Linsemair. 2010. Diversity and abundance of terrrestrial ants along a gradient of land use intensification in a transitional forest-savannah zone of Cote d'Ivoire. Journal of Applied Biosciences 29: 1809-1827.
 * Kone M., S. Konate, K. Yeo, P. K. Kouassi, and K. E. Linsenmair. 2012. Changes in ant communities along an age gradient of cocoa cultivation in the Oumé region, central Côte dIvoire. Entomological Science 15: 324339.
 * Stephens S. S., P. B. Bosu, and M. R. Wager. 2016. Effect of overstory tree species diversity and composition on ground foraging ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in timber plantations in Ghana. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & management 12(1-2): 96-107.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
 * Yeo K., S. Konate, S. Tiho, and S. K. Camara. 2011. Impacts of land use types on ant communities in a tropical forest margin (Oumé - Cote d'Ivoire). African Journal of Agricultural Research 6(2): 260-274.
 * Yeo K., T. Delsinne, S. Komate, L. L. Alonso, D. Aidara, and C. Peeters. 2016. Diversity and distribution of ant assemblages above and below ground in a West African forest–savannah mosaic (Lamto, Cote d’Ivoire). Insectes Sociaux DOI 10.1007/s00040-016-0527-6
 * Yeo K., and A. Hormenyo. 2007. A Rapid Survey of Ants in Ajenjua Bepo and Mamang River Forest Reserves, Eastern Region of Ghana. Pp 27-29. In McCullough, J., P. Hoke, P. Naskrecki, and Y. Osei-Owusu (eds.). 2008. A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Ajenjua Bepo and Mamang River Forest Reserves, Ghana. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 50. Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.