Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) rubripes (Latreille)

Type location Sierra Leone (Formica rubripes, Latreille, 1802c: 112, probably a major), no images on Antweb (October 2014); major only described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Latreille's (1802c) description is at . Brown with a black head and red-brown legs; TL 20 mm; 9 lines (18.9 mm). Drury's (1770) illustrated note is at . Forel's (1886f: 147) note is at .

In Wheeler (1922) it was listed only as a synonym of maculatus or vice-versa. Roger (1863b, No. 13; with a description at 1863a: 133 - not in HNS pages) and Forel (1886f) had it as a substantive species - "Esp. C. rubripes Drury (1770)"; the latter naming it with various races (also given by him as stirps), e.g. brutus, cognatus, maculatus and solon.

Before the present revision and two new specimens from Liberia (2013), I have to say that, after struggling to comprehend Forel's (1886f) review of the confused situation over rubripes, which he gave as the type species, encompassing many races from all corners of the tropics to warm temperate areas, I felt this needed to be consigned to the rank of historical mystery and not taken as a meaningful and, hence, identifiable species. To translate from Forel - "In brief C. rubripes and its related forms are one of the most beautiful examples in zoology which shows how the notions of species, race and variety pass without boundary from one to the other".

Although Drury had judged it to be the same as the Linneus Formica barbara (i.e Campontus barbarus), Latreille remarked that was very different.

What Latreille described might seem most likely to be a form of C. maculatus, in itself with such a list of so-called subspecies and varieties as to be not far from nonsense, although the type form does seem to be clearly identifiable as I have shown on the species page - Camponotus maculatus (Fabricius, 1782). The size range, colour, head shape (almost triangular) and small eyes suggest other wise, possibly Camponotus lycurgus which also comes from the right geographical area.

The illustration, however, is a montage of C. maculatus major from Benin (top) with a Drury's drawing centre and the fresh major from Liberia (below). The resemblance is quite remarkable, e.g. the HW and PW compare almost exactly, as do the lengths of the scapes and funiculi.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) rubripes B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Yekepa Camp 4 SLAM 3	6.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°33’04" N 08°33’17" E	SLAM trap Floodplain & marsh 501 m asl major & minor	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) rubripes B Taylor det.	Ivory Coast Erena Dupont iv.2014	Taļ National Park 5˚45'00" N 7˚07'00" W	05 minor	2
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) rubripes B Taylor det.	Ivory Coast Erena Dupont v.2014	Taļ National Park 5˚45'00" N 7˚07'00" W	08 minor	2

The photomontage of a major that appears to match the Drury note; from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier (Yekepa Camp 4 SLAM 3). Note the brown, smooth hind tibiae.

The photomontage of a minor worker from Liberia, Yekepa; collector E Poirier (Yekepa Camp 4 SLAM 3).

The photomontage of a minor worker from Ivory Coast, Tai; collector Erena Dupont (iv.2014, 08).