Tetramorium ebeninum Arnold, revived status

Type location South Africa (Arnold, 1926: 277, illustrated, worker); worker only known (see Bolton, 1995) .

Arnold's (1926) description of ebeninum is at . Bolton's modern description (1980) within Tetramorium weitzeckeri is at .

WORKER - TL 3.0-4.1 mm; antennae 11-segmented, one of most variable as regards size, pilosity and sculpturation. Bolton (1980: 233, illustrated) considered splitting specimens from western areas (Gabon, Angola) from those from eastern countries.

The photomontage is of specimens from South Africa; Western Cape, Grootvadersbosch N.R.; 350 m; S 33°59.39' E 20°48.32' 25-26.i.2004; collector Peter Hlavác. He wrote - "RSA-2 & RSA-3 determination labels) I found these 2 colonies also under bark of rotten trunk with Clavigerinae of the genus FUSTIGERODES. This genus is known in RSA to live with Lepisiota capensis Mayr, Crematogaster peringueyi Emery and Rhoptromyrmex transversinodis Mayr".

Other images can be seen in the folder at -