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The Ants of
Africa Genus Camponotus subgenus Tanaemyrmex |
Genus Camponotus |
Subgenus Tanaemyrmex Ashmead (1905b: 384) - member species regarded as in Myrmoturba by Wheeler (1922); synonymized by Emery (1925b: 75).
Ashmead wrote only "Tribe III. - Camponotini.
Genera: ... Tanaemyrmex,
Ashm.
n. g. (type Formica longipes,
Gerst.)" [see Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) etiolipes
(Gerstäcker)] also "Dinomyrmex,
Ashm., n. g. (type Formica gigas,
Latr.) [Latreille, 1802c: 105, also F Smith, 1858b: 14, from India,
Bingham, 1903: 369; see www.antweb.org
images]. Myrmoturba Forel (1912i) and Dinomyrmex
Ashmead (1905b). Forel (192i) is at
Subgenus definition --
clypeus carinate, with pronounced
anterior median lobe (usually rectangular). Head of major usually much
wider posteriorly, occiput usually without a border; minor head with
parallel sides, sometimes narrowed posteriorly; mandibles usually with
6-7 teeth; thorax dorsum arcuate, rarely with propodeum slightly
depressed and saddle-shaped. Usually nesting in ground or under stones
(truly global with very many species).
Emery
(1925b: 63) separated subgenus Dinomyrmex
as having the mandibles with some reduced (géminée) teeth; clypeus
carinate, extended forward as a strong lobe, impressed medianly and
each side with a raised angle in the form of a tooth; giant Malay
species. Under Tanaemyrmex
(as follows) he had "Camponotus
subg. Dinomyrmex (part) [all
except gigas,
the species in Forel, 1912: 91, and Forel, 1914a: 259, 268]. This was
contrary to the separation in Wheeler (1922: 239 ff) where pompeius, langi, caesar, massinissa and wellmani were in Dinomyrmex; plus (962 ff) aequatorialis, brevicollis, caffer, immigrans, longipes, sexpunctatus, and varus (with their then subspecies,
etc.).
Emery (1925b: 76) recognised three groups of workers:-
alpha - with sides of head parallel and occipital border usually
rounded, vertex not impressed
beta - with sides convergent behind; vertex clearly depressed and the
eyes are well removed from the occipital border
gamma - even more accentuated than beta, the posterior of the head
being cone-shaped with the occipital border reduced to a narrow
articulation, sometimes extended into a neck, particuarly in forms
where the cone-shape is not so accentuated
Emery added that intermediates also could be found.
Emery listed the subgenus members the species as follow (African
members only) -
maculatus-gouldi-group - aequatorialis, brevicollis,
caffer, crawleyi, donisthorpei, guttatus,
hova ssps, immigrans, langi, longipes, maculatus
with many ssps, masimissa, pompeius, sexpunctatus,
varus and wellmani
irritans-thraso-group - acvapimensis, arnoldinus,
bianconii, baynei, cleobulus, kersteni, maguassa,
thales and thraso ssps
compressus-sylvaticus-group - compressus ssps probativa
& incommoda, congolensis, fornasinii, knysnae,
solon (with ssp brutus and varieties chiton, jugurtha
and lycurgus) and somalinus
ungrouped - rubripes, werthi
Santschi (1926a) gave a consideration of the then subgenera - Tanaemyrmex
Ashmead (1905b), Myrmoturba Forel (1912i) and Dinomyrmex
Ashmead (1905b). This is at . The peculiarity of the minor forms where
the head is dramatically narrowed behind the occiput, apparently used
for separating subgenus Dinomyrmex, was left in confusion.
Apart from the strange apparently monomorphic Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar,
my observation is that such minors appear to be restricted to what I
have termed the pompeius-group. Even so, as will be seen under Camponotus
maculatus, the proliferation of subspecies and varieties leaves
chaos. Santschi also pointed out that he regarded Camponotus hova,
primarily from Madagascar but with some purported forms from South
Africa, as a mimetic of maculatus.
Note I have reconised a new species-complex, guttatus-complex, within the maculatus-group; majors with heads longer than wide, approximately rectangular in full face view with weakly arcuate sides and an only shallowly impressed occipitum. Members presently abjectus (Santschi, 1937d: 242); guttatus Emery (1899e: 498); kersteni (Gerstäcker, 1871: 355); minisculus (Viehmeyer, 1914c); and proletaria Baroni Urbani (1971b: 362, solely as a replacement name for Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. st. miserabilis n.st. Santschi (1914d: 379, soldier & worker); itself according to Baroni Urbani, 1972: 123). Baroni Urbani's multiple synonymization (1972: 123 ff) of the many so-called varieties of maculatus was presented with very little detail of his actual study of specimens, although he noted he had seen the specimens in Basel and Parigi, as well as material in London.
Provisional key to Major morph of African species - based primarily on historical descriptions, caution is urged and the main descriptions should be perused to verify any diagnosis; illustrations of perceived minors also are given where possible.
Although, I am leaving it in this catalogue as a substantive
species, C. rubripes Latreille seems to be too enigmatic to be
a recognisable species. Forel (1886f) summarised the characters common
to all subspecies, varieties and races of rubripes and that is
on - , giving more a set of
characters for the subgenus than anything else.
A1 | ![]() Minors with relatively short scapes and legs cf pompeius-group ![]() abjectus, aegyptiacus, aequatorialis, arnoldinus (?), baynei, cognatocompressus, congolensis, desantii, guttatus, kersteni, maculatus, negus, (rubripes), sexpunctatus (?), traegaordhi Seemingly equivalent to Ashmead's Tanaemyrmex and Forel's Myrmoturba |
maculatus-group - 1 |
-- | Alitrunk profile with distinct angle (even if obtuse) between dorsum and declivity of propodeum | A2 |
A2 | ![]() ![]() Minors with long scapes and legs; lighter brown-orange to yellow-red brevicollis, caffer, coniceps, crawleyi, donisthorpei, etiolipes, fornasinii (?), heros, knysnae, langi, natalensis, oasium, pompeius, posticus, probativus, wellmani, varus Seemingly equivalent to Ashmead's Dinomyrmex |
pompeius-group - 12 |
-- | Minors with square to oval heads in full face view | A3 |
A3 | ![]() brutus, buttikeri, empedocles (?), importunus, solon, somalinus Seemingly equivalent to Ashmead's Dinomyrmex |
brutus-group - 22 |
-- | ![]() Minor heads sub-ovoid to square acvapimensis, agonius, basuto, cleobulus, dicksoni, errabundus, immigrans, ligeus, maguassa, roubaudi, sacchii, thales, werthi |
acvapimensis-group - 26 |
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¤ | Queen only known (possibly a pompeius-group member) | Zaïre - massinissa |
¤ | ![]() |
Madagascar and dubiously Southern Africa - hova |
¤ | In Paramyrmamblys; TL 9.0 mm | South Africa - bianconii |
¤ | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Tanzania - pulvinatus |
¤ | ![]() |
. |
¤ | ![]() |
Sierra Leone & ? Liberia - rubripes |
¤ | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Mozambique - sexpunctatus |
-- | Alitrunk profile convex in a smooth elongated curve;
at least dimorphic (?) minor/minima with head narrowed posteriorly but
not dramatically so and without any "neck" - maculatus-group |
-- |
1 | ![]() |
2 |
-- | ![]() |
4 |
- | guttatus-complex | - |
2 | ![]() |
East Africa (? Guinea) - kersteni |
-- | TL 8-9 mm | 3 |
3 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Angola; Guinea & Senegal - abjectus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
West Africa - guttatus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Guinea - proletaria |
- | maculatus-complex | - |
4 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Sudan, Eritrea, Egypt - fellah |
-- | Without any gular hairs on underside of head | 5 |
5 | TL < 11 mm | 6 |
-- | TL > 11 mm | 8 |
6 | Head and body with substantial areas brown or lighter | 7 |
-- | Head and whole body unicolorous black or nearly so | 7a |
7 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - traegaordhi |
-- | ![]() |
Congo Basin (?Guinea) - aequatorialis. |
. |
![]() |
. |
. |
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aequatorialis kohli |
7a | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Ethiopia south to South Africa - negus |
-- | ![]() |
|
. | ![]() |
South Africa - arnoldinus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Cape Verde Is & Senegal - occasus |
- | TL > 11 mm | - |
8 | Hind tibiae without setae on the lower margin (or no more than one or two) | 9 |
-- | Hind tibiae with at least five setae on the lower margin | 10 |
9 | ![]() |
Central African Republic - new species - carensis |
-- | TL > 12 mm | 9B |
9B | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Sahel zone - aegyptiacus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - baynei |
-- | ![]() |
South Africa - cognatus |
- | Hind tibiae with at least five setae on the lower margin | - |
10 | ![]() ![]() |
. |
. |
![]() ![]() |
West Africa & Congo Basin - congolensis |
-- | Major TL 14 mm plus | 11 |
11 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Pan-African, tramp - maculatus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
CAR & Benin - desantii |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
North Africa inc Egypt - cognatocompressus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Uganda & Sudan - sarmentus |
![]() |
Alitrunk profile with distinct angle (even if obtuse) between dorsum and declivity of propodeum | - |
12 | ![]() ![]() |
pompeius-group - 13 |
- | miscellaneous species | - |
12a | ![]() |
Sahel zone into western Asia - oasium |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Congo Basin (north?) - brevicollis |
. | ![]() |
Cameroun & Congo - donisthorpei |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Cameroun & Congo - not donisthorpei |
-- |
![]() |
Angola - varus |
- | pompeius-group | - |
13 | Head wider than long | 13a |
-- | Head not wider than long | 14 |
13a | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Southern Africa & Congo Basin (Guinea?) - wellmani |
¤ | ![]() |
Cameroun - crawleyi |
¤ | ![]() |
Congo - coniceps |
14 | Scapes surpassing occiput by at least one-quarter of own length or more | 15 |
-- | Scape not reaching or only just surpassing occiput | 19 |
15 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - knysnae |
-- | Scapes surpassing occiput by at least one third of own length | 16 |
16 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Zaïre (Madagascar?) - langi |
-- | TL > 14 mm | 17 |
17 | ![]() |
Tanzania - heros |
-- | Eyes set at or just behind mid-point of face | 18 |
18 | ![]() |
South Africa - natalensis |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Mozambique - probativus |
- | Major scape not reaching or hardly surpassing occiput | - |
19 | TL ca 15 mm | 20 |
-- | TL > 15 mm | 21 |
20 | ![]() |
. |
. | minor![]() |
West Africa & Congo Basin - pompeius |
-- | ![]() |
Mozambique - fornasinii |
21 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - caffer |
-- | ![]() |
. |
-- | ![]() |
Southern Africa tropical forests - etiolipes |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
eastern Zaïre & Kenya - posticus |
-- | ![]() |
Angola, Cameroun,. Congo - Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar |
-- | ![]() |
Cameroun - Camponotus
(Myrmoxygenys) caesar imperator |
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Minors with square to ovoid faces | - |
22 | Large, TL > 12 mm; Minor head near rectangular - brutus, buttikeri, empedocles (?), importunus, solon | brutus-group - 23 |
-- | Smaller, TL Major < 10 mm; Minor heads
sub-ovoid to square; alitrunk profile interrupted shallowly convex but
propodeum markedly angular; mostly dark near black |
acvapimensis-group - 26 |
23 | TL < 14 mm | 24 |
-- | TL > 14 mm | 25 |
24 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Southern Africa - empedocles |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | South Africa - buttikeri | |
25 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
West Africa & Congo Basin - lycurgus |
-- | Major HW near equal to HL | 25a |
25a | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Western Africa (Angola to Sierra Leone) - brutus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Angola and Congo Basin - solon |
--NEW | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
West Africa - chilon |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Southern Africa - importunus |
-- | ![]() Minor - head narrower, oval and occiput hardly scalloped |
. |
. | ![]() |
Somalia to Congo Basin - somalinus |
![]() |
Petiole scale squamiform, thickness variable but without highly convex anterior face - smaller TL soldier < 10 mm; minor heads sub-ovoid to square; mostly dark near black - acvapimensis-group | - |
26 | Petiole scale thick with rounded apex in profile | 27 |
-- | Petiole scale squamiform tapering to sharp apex | 28 |
27 | ![]() |
South Africa - errabundus |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - werthi |
28 | TL > 10 mm | 29 |
-- | TL maximum 10 mm | 30 |
29 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Cameroun - immigrans |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - thales |
30 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Congo Basin - maguassa |
-- | TL < 10 mm | 31 |
31 | TL 9-10 mm | 32 |
-- | TL < 9 mm | 33 |
32 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Ethiopia - ligeus |
-- | ![]() |
Somalia - sacchii |
33 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Sub-Saharan forest in sunlit ground - acvapimensis |
-- | TL max 8.0 mm | 34 |
34 | TL ca 8.0 mm | 35 |
-- | TL < 8.0 mm | 36 |
35 | ![]() minor worker |
Lesotho - basuto |
-- | ![]() |
South Africa - cleobulus |
36 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Congo Basin (?Guinea) - agonius |
-- | Profile of propodeum distinctly angular | 37 |
37 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
|
. | ![]() |
Congo Basin - roubaudi |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
South Africa - dicksoni |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Tanzania - minusculus - new status |
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Genus page |
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 - Brian
Taylor
CBiol
FRSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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