The Ants of Africa Genus Camponotus subgenus Myrmopiromis
Genus Camponotus

Genus definition - Wheeler (1921a: 17) gave this as a replacement name for the Old World Myrmepomis, because Emery (1920b: 237) had set up Myrmolophus as a the new subgenus for the New World species but that was an error and Wheeler subjugated the latter as a junior synonym of Myrmepomis, necessitating the creation of a new subgenus name.

Head as in Orthonotomyrmex, major very broad posteriorly, minor trapezoidal, broadened posteriorly; genae without deep pits or fossettes, on major and queen; most with coarse, fairly abundant, obtuse hairs of a pale colour, sometimes forming a fur-coating on gaster.

NOTE - Emery (1925b: 129) had - medium-sized, alitrunk dorsum with an impression anterior to propodeum - chrysurus-group (chrysurus & scalaris) but chrysurus moved by Santschi (1926a) to Myrmopelta and Camponotus scalaris Forel has been transferred by me to subgenus Myrmenosites as clearly quite distinct from any member of C (Myrmopiromis). I have also transferred Camponotus tameri (Weber) to subgenus Myrmacrhaphe as it is very similar to Camponotus (Myrmacrhaphe) rotundinodis.

Robertson & Zachariades (2007) revised the Camponotus fulvopilosus species-group.

Key to species

1	Pronotum with anterior corners angled but not produced; medium sized relatively stocky; tibiae without coarse setae (piquants)	niveosetosus-group (berthoudi, niveosetosus, victoriae) - 2
--	Pronotum with anterior corners at least tuberculose; elongated large size, tibiae flattened, with piquants on lower border	fulvopilosus-group (brevisetosus, detritus, fulvopilosus, storeatus) - 4
2	Characteristic pilosity of abundant erect snow-white hairs; Major - TL 8 mm; pronotum with distinct but obtusely angled shoulders; sculpturation very fine and close puncturation (finer than other species) head and alitrunk dull remainder fairly shiny; black, antennae and tarsi ferruginous, mandibles dark castaneous red	.
.	Minor - TL 6 mm; generally like major but head with posterior angles rounded, dorsmm of pronotum flatter	Kenya south to South Africa & Namibia - niveosetosus
--	Erect white or yellowish pilosity sparse	3
3	Major - TL 7.5 mm; clypeus rectangular; head trapezoidal, occiput straight; pronotum with weak anterior tuberculose angles; petiole scale transversely striate; erect hairs white, very thick and blunt; black, basal half of scapes yellowish rusty-red	.
.		South Africa - berthoudi
--	Major TL 8.3 mm; clypeus a shortened hexagon; erect hairs yellowish-white, 14 on the edge of the petiole scale, 8 on each side of propodeal dorsum	South Africa - victoriae
	Pronotum with anterior corners at least tuberculose; elongated large size, tibiae flattened, with piquants on lower border - fulvopilosus-group	.
4	Major TL ca 15 mm	5
--	Major TL no more than 13 mm	6
5	Major - TL15-16 mm; head enormous, both very wide and very convex head and alitrunk dark red; anterior of pronotum with angles formed into teeth or tubercles; black, dull due to dense reticulo-puncturation all over, finer on gaster; gaster with a dense covering of thick blunt hairs of a fulvous or foxy-red colour. Minor - TL 10 mm; anterior angles of pronotum strongly obtuse formed into a border; wholly black except for brown funiculi and tarsi	southern Africa - fulvopilosus
--	Major - TL 15-16 mm; head very large; anterior margins of pronotum produced into slightly flattened teeth, about three-quarters as long as their basal width; petiole scale distinctly emarginate dorsally; densely pilous, more so than flavopilosus or fulvopilosus with no glabrous patches; reticulo-puncturation extends onto petiole scale; head, alitrunk and funiculi dark blood-red, anterior of head, mandibles, scapes and legs very dark reddish-brown, gaster black Media TL 12 mm & minor TL 11 mm with brighter red areas; pronotal teeth reduced in media and merely angular in minor	.
.		South Africa (Cape ) & Angola - storeatus
6	Major - TL 10-13 mm; (comparison with storeatus) pronotum with subdentate angles; dorsum of propodeum longer, narrower and more "cristate"; petiole scale higher and much thinner, with sharp emarginate dorsum; pilosity of gaster pale ochreous, quite short and blunt, evenly distrbuted but sparse; gaster also with fine sparse yellowish pubescence; head, alitrunk and funiculi dark blood-red, anterior of head, mandibles, scapes and legs very dark reddish-brown, gaster black	.
.	Minor TL 7.5-9 mm; head brighter red than major and without puncturation	South Africa - brevisetosus
--	TL 9.5-13 mm; very much like fulvopilosus but smaller; head nitidulous, more finely reticulate; petiole scale thinner and more "procumbent"; pilosity pale flavous, base of gaster glabrous, larger glabrous patches on rest of gaster; dark ferruginous, gaster black	.
.	Minor with anterior of pronotum sharply marginate	Namibia - detritus

Genus page

© 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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