The Ants of Africa

The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Tanaemyrmex
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus Emery

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) aegyptiacus Emery

Type locality Egypt (Camponotus maculatus aegyptiacus n. subsp., Emery, 1915f: 79, worker; Menozzi, 1932e: 453, queen & male; raised to species Baroni Urbani, 1972: 130). Note Emery (1915g: 4) listed "C. (M.) aegyptiacus n.; Ghinda, Nefasit, worker, queen & male"; thus the type location would be Eritrea; in the 1915f paper he gave no precise location - see below.
junior synonym infrasquameus (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus Fab. stirps infrasquameus n. st., Santschi, 1926b: 249, soldier, worker & queen) from Benin, Kouandé, Desanti - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0911892
material of unavailable names
claveaui (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps aegyptiacus Em. var. claveaui n. var., Santschi, 1926b: 250, worker) from Senegal, Dakar, Claveau - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0911888
sudanicus (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps aegyptiacus Em. var. sudanicus n. var., Santschi, 1926b: 250, soldier & worker) from Congo, Zinder Region, 1901, Dr Gallard - http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0911890
also hyskos (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus stirps aegyptiacus var. hyskos, Santschi, 1938a: 41, worker) from Egypt, status questionable according to Baroni Urbani (1972: 133) - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

{Camponotus aegyptiacus varieties} Emery's (1915f) consideration of the maculatus-group and definition of aegyptiacus is at
Santschi's (1926b) description of sudanicus, from (French) Congo (Tilho Mission, Region de Zinder, Danagherim Sultanate, by Dr Gallard, 1910) is at ; his description of claveaui (from Dakar, Senegal, collected by Claveau) is at ; and his description of infrasquameus (from Benin (Dahomey), at Kouandé, by Desanti) is at . Santschi (1938a) noted hyskos was almost identical to the type aegyptiaca but had much reduced dark patches on the gaster and had a dozen hairs on the underside of the head.

Note There is no proper original description of C. aegyptiacus. All we have is Emery's note that the distinct species has almost entirely yellow legs, wheras the true type C. maculatus maculatus has black tibiae. The allocation by Santschi (1926b) of the three new varieties to aegyptiacus falls down on the following:

Larger - claveaui TL 13-14 mm, HW 3.8 mm (type 3.3 mm), hind tibia length 4.5 mm; minor head narrower and longer, scape 2.9 mm, surpassing the occiput by about half its length, head shape straighter behind the eyes

Smaller and clearly quite different - infrasquameus TL 6.5-11 mm, HW narrower (than the type at 3 mm), scape longer ( minor scape length 2.9 mm, occiput more concave, minor with narrower dark banding on the gaster, head much narrower, petiole scale much lower.

Baroni Urbani (1972: 131) ignores the size variation altogether, taking colouration as a simple matter of variation. This simplistic approach clearly has to be questioned.

In the specimens shown below the major TL is about 13 mm, HW about 2.6 mm, hind tibia length about 2.9 mm. The minor has a high narrow petiole scale and the short scape ca 2 mm, as implied by Santschi. Collingwood also had the specimens from Saudi Arabia as with HW 3.5 mm or less.

{Camponotus segyptiacus} From Egypt, it was illustrated by Savigny (Audouin, J.-V. 1825-27: Plate 20 Fig 8).

Egypt records - Alfieri (1931: 48) listed 52 collections in the 1925 survey, in Cairo and its suburbs, from the Provinces of Charkieh, Fayoum, Assiout and Keneh; Santschi (1938a: 40) also listed numerous findings; Donisthorpe (1942a) listed numerous specimens from the Siwa Oasis area, all collected by J Omer-Cooper, June-July 1935; he later reported further specimens of all forms from Siwa, Siwa depression, Koreshid, Zeitoun and Abu Sharuf (Donisthorpe (1947e).

Sharaf list - Ghazal Island (Aswan), 2.v.2002 (18); Cairo, 15.vi.2003 (6); Saloga Island (Aswan), 2.v.2002 (2); Ismailia, 13.xii.1997 (1); Abuzabal (Qalyubiya),30.ix.2001 (1); Flosyiat, Zaranik (North Sinai), 11.viii.2000 (1) (SHC); Dakhla oasis, 6.ii.1953 (7) Leg.M.R.Sharaf; Pyramids (Giza), 20.ix.1952 (1); Pyramids (Giza), 19.i.1953 (4); Kharga Oasis, 10.ii.1953 (2); Barkash, 6.v.1952 (1); Khatatba, 7.viii.1953 (1); Benha (Qalyubiya), 1.viii.1953 (1) (ASUC); Marg (Cairo), 4.iv.1915 (1) (EESC); Giza, 5.i.1953 (12 ?); Giza, 6.i.1955 (4?); Giza, 29.xii.1952 (2); Giza, 29.xii.1953 (12); Abu-Rawash, 3.iv.1955 (6); Faiyum, 9.v.1953 (13); Faiyum, 15.iv.1953 (1); Helwan, 6.iv.1934, Farag (1); Giza, 5.iii.1953 (1); Giza, 13.ii.1955 (1) (CUC). Local distribution: Cairo, Marsa Matrouh, Pyramids, Dakhla oasis, Kharga oasis, Benha, Assiut, Luxor, Abu-Rawash, Safaga, Siwa, Tanta, El-Mahalla, Baharyia oasis, El-Simbillawein.

Mohamad thesis (1979) had - Cairo, 2.vi.1912; 14.v.1922; 22.vii.1929; 10.viii.1937; 4.v.1941; Shubra (Cairo), 30.i; 12.v.1918; Gezira (Cairo), 6.vi.1918; Egypt (Det.Crawley, 1927); Maadi (Cairo), 1.v.1927; Katta, 10.vii.1935 (Coll.Alf.). Zeitoun (Cairo), 11.v.1925; Egypt (Det.Crawley,1927) (Coll.Min.). Birqash, 11.v.1925; Marsa Matrouh, viii.1952; Pyramids (Giza), 20.ix.1952, 19.i.1953; El-Basateen (Cairo), 5.i.1953; Dakhla oasis (Western desert), 6.ii.1953; Kharga oasis (Western desert), 10.ii.1953; Benha (Qaliobyia), 1.viii.1953; El-Khatatba, 7.viii.1953; Asiut (Upper Egypt), 4.ii.1975; Luxor (Upper Egypt), 6-7.ii.1975; Cairo, 4.iii ,1.iv., 18.iv., 22.iv., 27.v.1975; Heliopolis (Cairo), 16.iii., 12.iv.,4.VII., 13.viii.1975; Abu-Rawash, 8.vi.1975; Kom Oshim (Fayium), 7.vii.1975; Alexandria, 5.viii.1975; Safaga (Red Sea), 20.xi.1975; Siwa oasis (Western desert), 9, 14.iv.1976; Pyramids (Giza), 18.v.1976; Tanta (Nile Delta), 7.xii.1977; El-Mahalla El-Kobra (Nile Delta), 8.xii.1977; Baharyia oasis (Western desert), 20.i.1978; Dakhla oasis (Western desert), 21.i.1978; Quiesna (Nile Delta), 22.i.1978; Kharga oasis (Western desert), 24.i.1978; El-Simbellawein (Dakahlyia), 24.i.1978; Benimazar (El-Menyia), 28.i.1978; Baharyia oasis (Western desert), 4-6.iii.1976 (Coll.Ain.).

Emery (1915f) laid stress on the type form of maculatus (as described by Linnaeus from the Bank's Collection in London) having ferruginous femora and black lower legs, whereas the form common in Egypt and neighbouring countries had completely pale legs. Collingwood (1985), recording it from Saudi Arabia, noted that in profile the dorsal outline of the alitrunk is more or less continuous; the gaster with a distinct pattern of 2 or 3 yellow blotches, which merge into each other laterally giving an irregular banded effect; gula hairs present but not numerous; smaller species, HW 3.5 mm or less. He added that it is a common north east African species; mainly active at night when foragers can be seen flitting very rapidly over the ground in search of food; the minor workers are very pale.

{Camponotus aegyptiacus} The photomontage of a major worker from the Emery collection is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905264.

{Camponotus aegyptiacus minor} The photomontage of a minor worker from the Emery collection is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905265.

{Camponotus aegyptiacus claveaui} The photomontage of the claveaui type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911888. This and the type of sudanicus are an exact match.

{Camponotus aegyptiacus claveaui} The photomontage of the claveaui type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911889.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Egypt M James 2002-21	2002 Sinai 28°33' N 33°56' E	St Katharine Protectorate; under a rock by day	8
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det. Queen	Egypt O Norfolk 07	2010 Sinai 28°33' N 33°56' E	St Katharine Protectorate; pitfall trap in wadi garden	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Senegal Ferlo B Ndiaye	Katané 15.48° N 14.08° W	Katané X 2010 T5P13 Sahelian savannah, pitfall traps 2 majors	2
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Senegal Tambacounda B Ndiaye	Maka Madina 13°03'42" N 12°07'03" W	Maka Madina 6-V-09 St 3 P5B 186 m; Soudanian savannah, pitfall traps; major ? & minor	2
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Senegal Tambacounda B Ndiaye	Maka Madina 13°03'42" N 12°07'03" W	Maka Madina 6-V-09 St 3 P9B [C] 186 m; Soudanian savannah, pitfall traps; minor	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Senegal Tambacounda B Ndiaye	Niakafiri 13°09'40" N 12°06'46" W	Niakafiri 5-VIII-09 St 6 Bois mort 213 m; Soudanian savannah, by hand; dead wood; minors	4
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus B Taylor det.	Senegal Tambacounda B Ndiaye	Tandiankunda 13°06'30"N 12°05'18" W	Tandiankunda 05-V-09 St 2 P2F 213 m; Soudanian savannah, pitfall traps; minor	1