Tetramorium guineense subspecies medje, Wheeler, W. M., 1922

Wheeler, W. M., 1922, The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition., Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45, pp. 39-269 : 192

Tetramorium guineense subspecies medje , new subspecies

Worker.v -vLength nearly 4 mm. Decidedly larger than the typical guineense but of the same color, except that the head, thorax, petiole, and legs are concolorous and somewhat more brownish. Clypeal border distinctly emarginate in the middle; funicular joints 2 to 4 small, strongly transverse. There is a very distinct transverse crest to the pronotum like that described by Stitz for the subspecies cristatum. The epinotal spines are long, and stout, and curved forward as in the subspecies peutli Forel. The episternal spines are strongly curved upward and fully half as long as the epinotal spines. Petiolar node of the same shape in profile as in cristatum, with its anterior and posterior surfaces subequal, abrupt, distinctly concave and marginate above, but the node is much longer than in the typical guineense , broader behind than in front and with its dorsal surface roof-shaped as in peutli. Postpetiole robust, nearly as long as broad. Mandibles smooth and shining, with minute, scattered, indistinct punctures. Sculpture much coarser than in the typical guineense ; clypeus with three prominent longitudinal carinae or rugae; the rugae on the head and thorax longitudinal but connected by reticulations; the sculpture of both nodes equally coarse and as coarse as that of the thorax. Anterior fourth of first gastric segment sharply longitudinally striate. Pilosity yellow, decidedly longer and coarser than in the typical guineense .

Described from two specimens, one taken from the stomach of a toad (Bufo regularis), from Medje (Lang and Chapin). This form is so strongly marked that it might be called a species, but, as many of its characters are those of described subspecies of guineense and as I have seen only two specimens, I prefer to attach it provisionally to that species.