The Ants of Africa Genus Camponotus subgenus Myrmopelta
Genus Camponotus

Subgenus definition - Section 6 Myrmopelta Santschi (1921f: 310) - medium sized, with golden or white hairs on the gaster; alitrunk with distinct, often impressed metanotal suture; mainly western Africa; several feed mainly on termites.

Santschi (1926a: 16) clarified and restated his definition of the subgenus; this is at ; in the same paper, Santschi also provided a key to the species of Myrmopelta - . Emery (1925b: 141) had these species in the vividus-group of subgenus Myrmamblys.

Key to species derived from Santschi (1926a) - subspecies not separated -

1	Genae and clypeus with distinctive fossae, or large puncturations; metanotal suture variable	2
--	Genae and clypeus without distinctive fossae; metanotal suture quite deeply impressed	4
2	Gaster with dense pubescence, often giving a golden layer	3
--	TL major ca 10 mm; gaster with much sparser pubescence, black	Mozambique & South Africa - arminius
3	Major TL 8-8.5 mm; propodeum with dorsum longer than the declivity; head less elongated and more triangular in full face view	Ethiopia & Tanzania - kollbrunneri
--	TL major 9-10 mm; metanotal suture weakly impressed; propodeum with dorsum much shorter than declivity	Congo Basin - barbarossa
4	TL major ca 8.2 mm; erect hairs rust or golden; gaster sometimes with fur-like layer of pubescence	Pan-African tropics - chrysurus s.s.
--	Major TL ca 7.8 mm, minor TL 5.5 mm; varieties with a major TL up to 9 mm; erect hairs whitish; without fur-like layer on gaster; posterior angles of clypeus with a punctiform impression; smoother and shinier than other species	Pan-African tropics - vividus

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© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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