Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) lohieri Santschi - new status

Type location Ivory Coast (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus Fab. stirps melanocnemis Sants. v. lohieri n.var. Santschi, 1913c: 313; as variety of maculatus, Emery, 1915g: 22, worker) Jacquevill, R J P H Lohier .

Santschi's (1913c) description as a variety of melanocnemis was - "Worker - head more matt especially towards the posterior angles, and the gaster with a yellow ochre patch on the side of the second segment plus three patches at the base of the first segment, otherwise the gaster is entirely black, as with melanocnemis", from Ivory Coast, Jacqueville, coll R P J H Lohier.
Allowing for the common variation in colour pattern in the West African specimens, I feel this may be seen as a simple junior synonym of the type maculatus. The fresh major, however, has a distinctive and different appearance to the posterior tibiae.  These are very dark and have strong spiculate sculpture. Even if they are separate species, the forms appear to share the same habitats in, at least, West Africa.

The photomontage is of a type (?) major worker collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905268.

The photomontage is of a type (?) minor worker collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905269

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) lohieri B Taylor det. major	Liberia E Poirier Yekepa PF 17	29.iii.2013 Nimba County 07°33’38" N 08°32’33" E	Pitfall trap Degraded secondary forest 518 m asl major	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) lohieri B Taylor det. minor	Liberia E Poirier Liabala PF 15	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	Pitfall trap Secondary forest 473 m asl minor	1

The photomontage is of a major worker from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier (Yekepa PF XVII).

The photomontage is of a minor worker from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier (Liabala PF XV).