Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
Genus Camponotus subgenus Tanaemyrmex
 Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) cognatocompressus (Forel)

maculatus species-group
TL 8-10-12 mm plus; alitrunk profile convex in a smooth elongated curve, propodeal declivity not or poorly separable from dorsum, if the latter always much shorter than dorsum; petiole scale of major cuneiform, with convex anterior face and quite sharp dorsal margin; mostly bicoloured with alitrunk lighter and distinct light areas on gaster; dimorphic (?) minors with head narrowed posteriorly but not dramatically so and without any "neck".

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) cognatocompressus Forel

return to key  Type locality "Africa" (Camponotus rubripes Drury r cognatus Sm. var. cognato-compressus, Forel, 1886f: 143 & 151, "unavailable name"; Forel, 1904b: 379, worker, queen & male - no images on Antweb (March 2019); probably wrongly synonymized and raised to species under name xerxes, Pisarski, 1967: 414, see below)
all forms described (see Bolton, 1995).

Arguably this and Camponotus xerxes are separate species but without type images of cognatocompressus one cannot be sure.

Forel's (1886f) description is at {original description}; the specimens were earlier described (under the much smaller Camponotus cognatus) in his (1879a) paper - the text is at {original description}. Forel's (1904f) description of xerxes is at {original description}. The overall feature from Forel's several pieces, is of a form that is larger and matt relative to maculatus s.s. The specimens were from Egypt and Tunisia, although I suspect the Forel (1879a) specimens were those listed by Magretti (1884) from the Sudan-Eritrea border area. Forel's (1904f) brief note on xerxes gives that as wholly black, whereas the cognatocompressus from Africa had the alitrunk and even part of the gaster reddish-yellow. In the earlier work (1886f) he noted the soldiers were larger TL ca 15 mm) than any Camponotus maculatus variety. The xerxes type major is similar in TL but has a larger head, both in width and length to the Egypt major shown below.

For comparison, Emery's (1893f) description of Camponotus adenensis is at {original description}. Although generally like "compressus", see Camponotus compressus; this has relatively shorter scapes, SI 0.85; there are no "aiguillons" or short setae on the lower margin of the tibiae; the petiole scale has a rounded upper margin.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) cognatocompressus
B Taylor det.
 Egypt
M Sharaf

 4.v.2003
Zaranik
30°39' N
34°26' E
 no details
 1
 {album}
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) cognatocompressus
B Taylor det.		 Egypt
A Shepherd


 2010
Sinai
28°33' N
33°56' E
 St Katherine’s Protectorate
Large Blue at night

 2
 {album}

{Camponotus cognatocompressus} The photomontage is of a major worker from Egypt, Zaranik, N. Sinai; collector Mostafa Sharaf.

This has CI 89, distinct setae on lower margin of hind tibiae, a sharp summit to the petiole scale.

{Camponotus cognatocompressus media} The photomontage is of a media worker from Egypt, Sinai, St Kathsrine's; collector Amy Shepherd.

{Camponotus cognatocompressus minor} The photomontage is of a minor worker from Egypt, Sinai, St Kathsrine's; collector Amy Shepherd.

©2006, 2012, 2015, 2019 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

href="camponotus_cognatocompressus.htm"