Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cruentatus (Latreille)

Type location "Africa" (Formica cruentata, Latreille, 1802c: 116, illustrated, worker; Roger, 1862b: 255, queen & male; Emery, 1916b: 230, major worker) - no images on Antweb (October 2014)
junior synonyms
opaca (Formica opaca Duf. mscrpt., Nylander, 1856: 55, illustrated clypeus, worker; synonymy Roger, 1859: 228; Mayr, 1861: 36; and unavailable name bucephala, Roger, 1862c: 255) from France - no images on Antweb (October 2014)
gigas (Formica gigas, Leach, 1825: 292, all forms; synonymy Dalla Torre, 1893: 277) from France - no images on Antweb (October 2014)
cruentior (Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cuentatus Ol. var. cruentior n. var., Santschi, 1931a: 12, major & minor workers; synonymy Cagniant, 1991b: 51) from Morocco, Tangier, Buchet, 1901 - see below
lindbergi (Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cuentatus Ol. var. lindbergi n. var., Santschi, 1931a: 12, major & minor workers, synonymy Cagniant, 1991b: 51) from Morocco, Azrou, Alluaud. - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0911765

Latreille's (1802c) description is at ; Leach's (1825) description of gigas is at [Leach, W. E. 1825. Descriptions of thirteen species of Formica and three species of Culex, found in the environs of Nice. Zool. J. 2, 289-293. ]; Nylander's (1856b) description of opaca is at ; he recognises opaca as described in manuscript by Dufour and from Savignyi, Atl. Aegyt, X, 20, f.7. Roger's (1862b) description of the queen and male is at

Emery's (1916b key) description including the worker is at ; Santschi's (1931a) descriptions of cruentior and lindbergi are at ; he attributes the species to Olivier (presumably Olivier, 1792) but this appears to be an error.

Cagniant (1985b) studied a range of populations and describes cruentatus as polymorphic, with a considerable size range, TL 6-14 mm;
His general description of the worker was - colour head, scape and promesonotum blueish-black, scape, propodeum, petiole and base of legs reddish brown, rest of legs very dark brown, funiculus clearer, posterior gaster black.

The photomontage of the cruentior type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent09117638.

The photomontage of the cruentior type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911764. Listed by Santschi (1931a).

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Myrmosaga) cruentatus B Taylor det.	Iran Aina Ebadati ZMGU 113	v.2004 Golestan 36.8394444 N 54.4361111 E	Golestan Province Gonbad-e-Kavoos	3
Camponotus (Myrmosaga) cruentatus B Taylor det.	Egypt M James 2002-10	2002 Sinai	St Katherine’s Protectorate	1

The photomontage is of a major specimen, from IRAN, ZMGU 113, Golestan Province Gonbad-e-Kavoos , collector Aina Ebadati, May 2004, provided by Omid Paknia.

Egypt record - Savignyi collection. James 2002 sample 10, from St Katharine's Protectorate. These show the features emphasised by Emery (1916b) - TL 6-14 mm; tibia compressed laterally, excavated on the dorsal face with a longitudinal groove; hairs yellowish and quite thick on the gaster; postero-ventral alitrunk, coxae and much of the femora, petiole and dorsum of first gastral segment reddish-rust; rest black or brown.

Other images can be seen in the folder at -