The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Paramyrmamblys
Genus Camponotus

Paramyrmamblys - Santschi (1926c: 604)

{link to the Hymenoptera Name Server}Subgenus defintion - apparently major with truncated anterior to head; clypeus usually trapezoidal or convex, variably carinate, with anterior border arcuate, rarely with a median impression; alitrunk narrowed posteriolry and witha continuous profile, arcuate or straight, the propodeum not saddle-shaped; declivity of propodeum abrupt.

It seems that members (15 species most from eastern/southern Africa) of this subgenus are the African equivalent of the otherwise pantropical subgenus Colobopsis, whose soldiers are known to use the truncated head to block the entrance holes to the nests, always in the wood of trees - in hollow stems, galls or spines {described in Arnold, 1922: 613). Colobopsis usually have an excised metanotal groove. In Bolton (1995), two species C. (Param.) amamianus and C. (Param.) kiusiuensis are listed with type locations in Japan. It seems unlikely that these could be genuinely related to the African subgenus.

Santschi's (1926c) subgenus definition is at {original description} Note - Emery (1925b: ) had the species in his simus-group of subgenus Myrmamblys.

Key to species

¤ Queen only known, close to ferreri - see image on species page Ivory Coast - robertae
¤ Queen only known, yellow - see image on species page
Kenya - viri
1 Major with elongated rectangular head 2
-- {Camponotus ostiarius}Major with HW ca HL; trapezoidal in profile 6
2 Major head with straight sides 3
-- Major head with elongated but arcuate sides 4
3 {short description of image}Major TL 5.8-6.4 mm; anterior margin of clypeus entire; very fine whitish pubescence on body and legs; black appendages varying brown .
. Camponotus aeuitas majorqMajor .
. Camponotus aequitas minorMinor Zimbabwe - aequitas
-- {short description of image}Major - TL 6.5 mm, HL 2.3 mm HW 1.6 mm; anterior margin of clypeus with median notch and excavation of surface; overall dull; blackish, gaster darkest, appendages dull red .
. Camponotus prosulcatusMajor Zaïre - prosulcatus
4 Camponotus brookeiTL 6.8-7.0 mm; head only one-fifth longer than wide; head piceous, alitrunk and gaster dark brown to black; .
. Camponotus brookeiMinor South Africa - brookei
-- Head about 50% longer than wide 5
5 {short description of image} TL 5 mm; clypeus without a carina; alitrunk bordered; head wider and alitrunk more arcuate; shiny; varying from pitch brown to brownish yellow, head always darker and gaster clearer, appendages lighter and gaster segments with a diffuse pale posterior border .
. Camponotus limbiventris Tanzania - limbiventris
-- {short description of image}TL 4.8-5 mm; clypeus with posterior longitudinal carina; alitrunk not bordered; clear reddish brown, appendages reddish-yellow .
. Camponotus vulpus Zaïre - vulpus
-- Paramyrmablys ferreri akka minorQueen with elongated head; minor TL 5.5 mm, HL twice HW; petiole conical widest at the base subacuminate at the summit; shiny feebly shagreened; head and gaster brown, all remainder yellowish red.
Only known minor (shown) is of the ssp akka
Cameroun - ferreri
return to key - Head with width and length about equal, in profile with steeply sloping anterior dorsum -
6 With elongated low alitrunk profile and propodeum with vertical concave declivity 7
-- Wtth relatively short arcuate alitrunk profile 9
7 {short description of image}With very long alitrunk and high petiole scale; TL 4.5-6.5 mm; HL 1.6 mm, HW 1.3 mm; clypeus not carinate, anterior margin slightly arcuate with shallow median impression; generally shiny, with feeble reticulation; brownish-black, appendages reddish, gaster segmens with weak yellowish posterior borders .
. Camponotus orinobatesMajor .
. {short description of image}Minor Kenya - orinobates
-- Alitrunk moderately long and petiole scale much lower 8
8 Camponotus lilianae majorMajor; TL 6.5-11 mm; minor worker elongated, alitrunk low, head narrowed behind; clypeus with median carina and rounded anterior border; petiole scale thick .
. Camponotus lilianae minorMinor Zaïre - lilianae
8A Camponotus cornutus majorTL 6.5-11 mm; Worker elongated, alitrunk low, head narrowed behind; clypeus with median carina and rounded anterior border; petiole scale thick  South Africa - cornutus
-- {short description of image}TL 5.8-7.4 mm; shiny; head black, rest of body dark brown, appendages paler .
. {short description of image} southern Sudan forests - hapi
9 Alitrunk with weak but distinct bordering on pro- and mesonotum 9A
-- Alitrunk without bordering 10
9A {short description of image}Anterior of head coarsely reticulo-punctate; major TL 8.5-9 mm
.
. Camponotus ostiarius majorMajor .
. Camponotus ostiarius minorMinor South Africa - ostiarius
-- Camponotus bianconiiAnterior of head without coarse sculpture or foveae; TL 9 mm HW 2.8 HL 2.8 SL 2.2
South Africa - bianconii
10 Propodeum declivity marginate; major TL 7 mm; head and alitrunk densely finely reticulo-punctate but head also with coarse rugae, these serpiginous and elongated terminally; erect pilosity coarse, obtuse, white, marginally on propodeum, petiole scale and gaster segments, black but anterior two-thirds of head ochreous, appendages brownish, posterior of gaster segments narrowly testaceous South Africa - bifossus
-- Propodeal declivity not marginate 11
11 Camponotus bertolonii minorPetiole scale thin, convex anteriorly and near flat behind; TL 5-7 mm; major HL slightly more than HW; clypeus and genae with large oblong piligerous punctures; gaster with fine transverse rugulae; piceous shining, extremities fusco-ferruginous South Africa - bertolonii
-- Petiole scale thicker with convex faces 12
12 {short description of image}Metanotal suture weak disappearing on sides of alitrunk; TL 4.3-7 mm .
. {short description of image} .
. {short description of image}Minor South Africa - orites
-- Metanotal suture descending full depth of alitrunk 13
13 {short description of image}TL 5-6.5 mm; HL 1.8 mm, HW 1.6 mm; pronotum shoulders rounded; shiny with fine superficial reticulation on mesonotum and propodeum; reddish erect hairs numerous; very dark brown, head almost black, appendages brown to rust, with hind trochanters and hind femora basally yellow .
. {Camponotus simus} Congo Basin - simus
-- Camponotus moderatus minorTL (minor) 4.4 mm; head about one-fifth longer than wide, smaller than others; converging anterior to eyes (much more than in vulpus and limbiventris alitrunk more evenly convex than vulpus
. Camponotus moderatus minorPossible major Ethiopia - moderatus
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© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
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