Hita Garcia, F., Fischer, G. & Peters, M.K.

Tetramorium snellingi sp.n. - a new leaf-litter ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from a Western Kenyan rainforest

A new myrmicine ant species is described from the Kakamega Forest, a Guineo-Congolian rainforest remnant in Western Kenya. The new species has been named Tetramorium snellingi sp.n. and is morphologically most similar to T. weitzeckeri Emery, 1895 and T. guineense (Bernard, 1953) but can be easily distinguished from them by body size, shape of propodeal spines, cephalic ground sculpturation, and colour pattern. The description is based on worker and queen castes; the male remains unknown. Tetramorium snellingi sp.n. is a common leaf-litter inhabitant of the Kakamega Forest. Its distribution is limited to near-primary and secondary forest habitats and it seems to be one of the few endemic ant species described for the Kakamega Forest up to now.

Open access, licensed under CC BY 4.0. © 2010 The Author(s).

Formicidae, Tetramorium snellingi, new species, Kakamega Forest, Western Kenya, leaf-litter ants.