The Ants of Africa

The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Tanaemyrmex
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) posticus Santschi

pompeius species-group
Major clypeus with distinct median carina; large TL 15 mm plus; alitrunk profile convex with angular propodeum, petiole scale quite thick; trimorphic (?) minors with distinct posteriorly narrowed heads; soldiers dark red-brown to near black; minors lighter brown-orange to yellow-red. Most catalogued under Camponotus (Dinomyrmex) by Wheeler (1922: 962).

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) posticus Santschi

Type location Zaïre (Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) posticus n. sp., Santschi, 1926b: 254, illustrated, major & minor workers) coll. A Weiss; major & minor workers only known (see Bolton, 1995) .

{Camponotus posticus} Santschi's (1926b) description is at and . Two majors and a minor collected at Karemi, Zaïre, by Dr Bayer; also one minor from Kenya ("British East Africa"), Londiani, 1914, by Dr Bayer

{Camponotus posticus} The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912016.

{Camponotus posticus minor} The photomontage of a non-type minor worker (that listed by Santschi from Kenya) is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent09010270.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) posticus B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 163	9.vi-20.vi.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Base Camp, Winkler Funnel of leaf litter	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) posticus B Taylor det. Queen	Uganda C A Wiggins	8.vi.1912 Entebbe 0°02'40"N 32°27'57"E	ca 4000' asl at "Boy", ca. 2 m NE of, E slope of Kitabi Hill Forest	1

{Camponotus posticus} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Gabon, Pongara National Park; collector Yves Braet (Gabon 163).

{Camponotus posticus queen} The photomontage is of a queen collected in Uganda, Entebbe; 0°02'40"N 32°27'57"E; 8.viii.1912; collector C A Wiggins; OUMNH; ca 4000' asl, at "Boy", ca. 2 m NE of, E slope of Kitabi Hill; Forest.

The overall form, colour and pilosity, plus the exceptional size, suggest this is the hitherto unknown queen of the species. Needs checking

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