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The Ants of
Africa Genus Camponotus subgenus Paramyrmamblys |
Genus Camponotus |
Paramyrmamblys - Santschi (1926c: 604)
Subgenus defintion -
apparently major with truncated
anterior to head; clypeus usually trapezoidal or convex, variably
carinate, with anterior border arcuate, rarely with a median
impression; alitrunk narrowed posteriolry and witha continuous profile,
arcuate or straight, the propodeum not saddle-shaped; declivity of
propodeum abrupt.
It seems that members (15 species most from eastern/southern Africa) of this subgenus are the African equivalent of the otherwise pantropical subgenus Colobopsis, whose soldiers are known to use the truncated head to block the entrance holes to the nests, always in the wood of trees - in hollow stems, galls or spines {described in Arnold, 1922: 613). Colobopsis usually have an excised metanotal groove. In Bolton (1995), two species C. (Param.) amamianus and C. (Param.) kiusiuensis are listed with type locations in Japan. It seems unlikely that these could be genuinely related to the African subgenus.
Santschi's (1926c) subgenus definition is at Note - Emery (1925b: )
had the species in his simus-group of subgenus Myrmamblys.
Key to species
¤ | Queen only known, close to ferreri - see image on species page | Ivory Coast - robertae |
¤ | Queen only known, yellow - see image on species
page |
Kenya - viri |
1 | Major with elongated rectangular head | 2 |
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6 |
2 | Major head with straight sides | 3 |
-- | Major head with elongated but arcuate sides | 4 |
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Zimbabwe - aequitas |
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Zaïre - prosulcatus |
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South Africa - brookei |
-- | Head about 50% longer than wide | 5 |
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Tanzania - limbiventris |
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Zaïre - vulpus |
-- | ![]() Only known minor (shown) is of the ssp akka |
Cameroun - ferreri |
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Head with width and length about equal, in profile with steeply sloping anterior dorsum | - |
6 | With elongated low alitrunk profile and propodeum with vertical concave declivity | 7 |
-- | Wtth relatively short arcuate alitrunk profile | 9 |
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Kenya - orinobates |
-- | Alitrunk moderately long and petiole scale much lower | 8 |
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Zaïre - lilianae |
8A | ![]() |
South Africa - cornutus |
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southern Sudan forests - hapi |
9 | Alitrunk with weak but distinct bordering on pro- and mesonotum | 9A |
-- | Alitrunk without bordering | 10 |
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South Africa - ostiarius |
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South Africa - bianconii |
10 | Propodeum declivity marginate; major TL 7 mm; head and alitrunk densely finely reticulo-punctate but head also with coarse rugae, these serpiginous and elongated terminally; erect pilosity coarse, obtuse, white, marginally on propodeum, petiole scale and gaster segments, black but anterior two-thirds of head ochreous, appendages brownish, posterior of gaster segments narrowly testaceous | South Africa - bifossus |
-- | Propodeal declivity not marginate | 11 |
11 | ![]() |
South Africa - bertolonii |
-- | Petiole scale thicker with convex faces | 12 |
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South Africa - orites |
-- | Metanotal suture descending full depth of alitrunk | 13 |
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Congo Basin - simus |
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Ethiopia - moderatus |
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Genus page |
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 - Brian Taylor
CBiol
FSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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