The Ants of Egypt

The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Camponotus - Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah (Emery)

maculatus species-group
TL 8-10-12 mm plus; alitrunk profile convex in a smooth elongated curve, propodeal declivity not or poorly separable from dorsum, if the latter always much shorter than dorsum; petiole scale of major cuneiform, with convex anterior face and quite sharp dorsal margin; mostly bicoloured with alitrunk lighter and distinct light areas on gaster; dimorphic (?) minors with head narrowed posteriorly but not dramatically so and without any "neck".

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah Emery

Type location Egypt (Camponotus maculatus r oasium var fellah n. var., Emery, 1891b: 18; Camponotus oasium var fellah, Dalla Torre, 1893: 245, minor worker; Emery, 1908a: 194, major worker, queen & male; raised to species Pisarski, 1971b: 728) .

{Camponotus fellah} Emery's (1891b) description is at . Emery's (1908a) description is at . Pisarski's (1971b) determination of name is at .

Emery (1891b) noted specimens from Assab, Eritrea among those in his first description of the species. Forel (1910c) reported a worker from Western Ethiopia, collected by A Ilg. Viehmeyer (1923) reported specimens from Sudan, at Port Sudan, collected by H Werner & R Ebner .

Menozzi (1933b: 97) had Egypt, Sinai and Palestine. His full notes, including extracts from his key, is at .

Iran Form - Crawley (1920: 178) noted a single worker from "Mesopotamia" or "North-West Persia" that was "probably var. oasium or possibly var. fellah but impossible to determine without a major worker". Pisarski's report was of specimens from Baghdad, 4 workers and 2 males, from palm groves and waste land on the edges of the Tigris River. See the bottom of the page for fresh specimens and collection details.

{Camponotus fellah minor} The photomontage of a minor worker from the type collection is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905293.

{Camponotus fellah minor} The photomontage of what appears to be a media worker, presumably from the type collection and sent to Santschi, is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911939.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah B Taylor det.	Israel J Kugler	27.x.1981 Maagan-Michael 32.55° N 34.91° E	No details; courtesy of Armin Ionescu, Tel Aviv University	13
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah B Taylor det.	Egypt A Shepherd	2010 Sinai 28°33' N 33°56' E	St Katherine’s Protectorate Alcohol E	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah B Taylor det.	Egypt O Norfolk 11	2010 Sinai 28°33' N 33°56' E	St Katherine’s Protectorate Pitfall trap in wadi garden	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) fellah B Taylor det.	Egypt O Norfolk 04	2010 Sinai 28°33' N 33°56' E	St Katherine’s Protectorate Pitfall trap in wadi garden	1

{Camponotus fellah} The photomontage is of a major worker from Sinai, Egypt; collector Olivia Norfolk (Alcohol E).

{Camponotus fellah} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Sinai, Egypt; collector Olivia Norfolk (ON11).

{Camponotus fellah} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Sinai, Egypt; collector Olivia Norfolk; compared with the worker in Savignyi Plate 20, 9. The profile and proportions are a close match, including the lengths of the hind femur and the scape.

{Camponotus fellah} Savignyi Plate 20, 9 (Audouin, J.-V. 1825-27: Plate 20 Fig 9).

{Camponotus fellah} The photomontage is of a major worker from Israel; collector J Kugler.

{Camponotus fellah} The photomontage of a major worker is from Tel Aviv, Israel, photos taken by Merva Vonshak and courtesy of Armin Ionescu, Tel Aviv University.

{Camponotus fellah minor} The photomontage of a minor worker is from Tel Aviv, Israel; collector J Kugler.

Š2006, 2012, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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