Tetramorium hecate Hita Garcia & Fisher

Head longer than wide (CI 93 - 96); posterior head margin weakly concave. Anterior clypeal margin usually entire and convex, sometimes with very small median notch only visible under higher magnifications. Frontal carinae strongly developed, approaching or ending at posterior head margin. Antennal scrobes well developed, moderately shallow, and with clearly defined margins all around. Antennal scapes relatively short, not reaching posterior head margin (SI 73 - 77). Eyes large (OI 27 - 31). Mesosomal outline in profile weakly convex, moderately marginate from lateral to dorsal mesosoma; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent; mesosoma comparatively stout and high (LMI 41 - 44). Propodeal spines usually long to very long (PSLI 30 - 38), elongate-triangular to spinose, and acute, rarely spines reduced, short, elongate-triangular, and acute (PSLI 20 - 21); propodeal lobes short, triangular to elongate-triangular, and acute. Petiolar node in profile rectangular nodiform, approximately as high as long to weakly higher than long (LPeI 89 - 100), anterior and posterior faces approximately parallel, anterodorsal and posterodorsal margins situated at about the same height, anterodorsal and posterodorsal angles well-developed and rectangular, petiolar dorsum flat; node in dorsal view around 1.1 to 1.2 times longer than wide (DPeI 81 - 89). Postpetiole in profile globular to subglobular, approximately 1.1 to 1.2 times higher than long (LPpI 80 - 91); in dorsal view around 1.2 to 1.3 times wider than long (DPpI 120 - 130). Postpetiole in profile appearing less voluminous than petiolar node, in dorsal view approximately 1.3 to 1.4 times wider than petiolar node (PPI 129 - 142). Mandibles unsculptured, smooth, and shining; clypeus longitudinally rugulose, usually with three distinct rugulae, median rugula better developed than remainder, rugulae often with cross-meshes; cephalic dorsum between frontal carinae irregularly longitudinally rugose to reticulate rugose, posteriorly towards posterior head margin well reticulate-rugose, anteriorly towards posterior clypeal margin more regularly longitudinally rugose (usually with five to eight longitudinal rugae); scrobal area mostly unsculptured; lateral and ventral head longitudinally rugose to reticulate-rugose. Mesosoma laterally irregularly rugose, dorsally distinctly longitudinally rugose. Forecoxae unsculptured, smooth, and shining. Both waist segments laterally weakly, irregularly rugulose/rugose, dorsally mostly unsculptured, smooth, and shining. Postpetiole and gaster unsculptured, smooth, and shining. Ground sculpture generally faint to absent everywhere on body. Whole body with abundant, long, and fine standing hairs; first gastral tergite without appressed pubescence. Anterior edges of antennal scapes with suberect to erect hairs. Body colouration relatively variable, ranging from bicoloured with head, mesosoma, legs, and waist segments yellowish to bright orange contrasting with very dark brown to black gaster to whole body uniformly brown.

The new species is currently only known from Cameroon and Gabon (Figure 7). All localities are situated at relatively low elevations ranging from 10 to 300 m, and most are either rainforests or littoral rainforests. Most of the available material was collected through litter sifting, which suggests that the preferred microhabitat of Tetramorium hecate is forest leaf litter.