The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga
Camponotus (Myrmosaga) mombassae Forel revived status

Camponotus (Myrmosaga) mombassae Forel revived status

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type locality Kenya (Camponotus mombassae n. sp., Forel, 1886f: 180, major worker) M Hildebrandt  - no images on Antweb (September 2014) .


Forel's (1886) description is at {original description}. Images are not available on Antweb (June 2014).

With the specimens from Tanzania, (three from Mkomazi), below, it is quite clear that mombassae is a genuine species and that the synonymy under Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) acvapimensis, attributed to Wheeler (1922: 948) by Bolton (1995) was wrong. Wheeler gave no reason for his synonymy nor was there any indication that he had seen specimens of mombassae. In his description of Camponotus (Myrmosaga) jeanneli, Santschi (1914b) noted that was related also to C. mombassae "of which this may be a race". There are clear differences, however, between jeanneli and mombassae and this very obviously is not a Tanaemyrmex. Bolton (1995) also cites Emery (1896d: 372) as having mombassae as a subspecies of Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) kersteni, that too was a synonymic list without reasons for the status change.  There is a similarity between this and Camponotus klugii but that appears to lack the striations on the lateral propodeum and the erect hairs on the mesonotum and the propodeum.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Myrmosaga) mombassae
B Taylor det.

Tanzania
G McGavin
tree 3-56
12.i.1996
Mkomazi
Igire Hill
pkd collection from Ochna holstii

3
{album}

{Camponotus mombassae minor}The photomontage is of workers collected in Tanzania, Mkomazi; collector George McGavin (tree 3-56). Note the flattened dorsum of the pronotum, with the distinct angles, as described by Forel

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© 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
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