The Ants of Africa

The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Mayria
Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar Forel

Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar Forel

Type location Angola (Camponotus caesar n. sp., Forel, 1886f: 162, worker; Emery, 1899e: 503, soldier/worker - only a single morph is known & queen) collected by Dr Max Buchner - see below
subspecies imperator (Camponotus Caesar Forel subsp. imperator n. subsp., Emery, 1899e: 503, illustrated, worker) from Cameroun, Mundame, by Conradt - see below
unavailable consul (Camponotus IDinomyrmex) Caesar For. stirps imperator Em. var. consul n. var., Santschi, 1920g: 180, worker) from Cameroun, Rio del Reye - see below
soldier/worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar} Forel's (1886f) description of the minor (the species is either monomorphic or no major has been found) is at ; Emery's (1899e) description of subspecies imperator, with illustrations and notes on the type, is at and Santschi's (1920g) description of subspecies consul is at .

Wheeler (1922, who had it in subgenus Dinomyrmex - now used solely for the South-East Asian species Camponotus gigas Latreille), describing it as "light-colored", has it as also found in Cameroun at Lomié (by Thesing) and from Zaïre (no details).

Noted as nocturnal according to Creighton Wellman by Forel (1909b), on ants from Benguela, Angola.

Bernard (1952) noted this large, nocturnal ant, quite rare, with the single worker caste corresponding to the minor of other sections (subgenera), as found at Mt. Nimba, Guinea, one worker from Yanlé and one from Yalanzou; both forest areas.

The type specimens shown below suggest that imperator is somewhat larger than the type and distinctively coloured, with the contrastingly darker head. The fresh specimens also show this differentiation.

{Camponotus caesar minor} Type form

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0909948.

Notes. Characterised by the generally lighter brown colour (also consul), the pale hind femora and relatively low petiole scale with a triangular profile, in front view the petiole scale has a rounded rather than sharp apex.

{Camponotus caesar consul minor} Type worker of consul collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2349.

{Camponotus caesar minor} The photomontage is of a minor from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR pco6 Buffle).

{Camponotus caesar minor} The photomontage is of a minor from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR pco3).

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar type form B Taylor det. Media & minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer PCO3	25.xi.2010 Dzanga-Sangha 2°28'49.5"N 16°12'55.9"E	392 m; pitfall/dung trap, Lake 1 base	2
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar type form B Taylor det. Minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer PCO6	27.xi.2010 Dzanga-Sangha 2°28'49.5"N 16°12'55.9"E	392 m; pitfall/water buffalo dung trap, Lake 1 base	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar imperator B Taylor det. Minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer FN	10.ii.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 02°50’01.8" N 16°08’13.7" E	Camp 3; U.V : 18h-3h, dans petite saline à proximité du camp; 375m asl	2
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar imperator B Taylor det. Minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer Camp 1G	14-14.x.2008 Dzanga-Sangha 03°03'58.3" N 16°08'59.6" E	Camp 1; 528 m; Piege au salée posé sur le sol	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar imperator B Taylor det. Minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer JY	20.x.2008 Dzanga-Sangha 03°01'49.5" N 16°08'31.7" E	567 m; Journée Camp 2; Au camp	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar imperator B Taylor det. Minor	Central African Republic P Annoyer NR	24.xi.2010 Dzanga-Sangha 2°28'49.5"N 16°12'55.9"E	392 m; nuit, à vue, camp de base lac 1 "tente"	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) caesar imperator B Taylor det. Minor	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Camponotus brutus	17.vii.2007 Matomb/S 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in forest	1
Camponotus (Myrmoxygenys) caesar imperator B Taylor det.	Cameroun Fotso Kuate Camponotus sp J	24.iii.2008 Awae II 03°54’30”N 11°25’58”E	highland area elevation >500m; quadrat in fallow	1

{Camponotus caesar imperator minor} The imperator form

The photomontage of the imperator type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905187.

{Camponotus caesar minor} The photomontage is of a minor from Cameroun,; highland area elevation >500m; quadrat in fallow; 24.iii.2008; Coll. Fotso Kuate.

TL ca 18 mm, HW 2.4, HL 3.1, CI 74, SL 5.7, SI 240; very distinctive colouration of dull dark brown alitrunk and head, contrasting with the shinier dusky yellow gaster and legs; very abundant yellow erect hairs on whole of the body and appendages; legs, posterior femur and tibia 6.4 mm, and antennae exceptionally long, scapes surpass the occiput by about two-thirds the distance to the occiput; petiole triangular in profile, in front view with a sharp apex. Somewhat similar to C. etiolipes but that has only a few short hairs on the genae compared with the numerous long hairs on this species. This has narrow cylindrical tibia not compressed as in etiolipes.

{Camponotus langi minor} The photomontage is of a minor from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR Camp 1G).

{Camponotus langi minor} The photomontage is of a minor from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR Camp 3 FN).

{Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) n sp CAR JY} The photomontage is of the holotype minor from Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP, 20.x.2008 Journée Camp 2 03°01'49.5" N 16°08'31.7" E 567 m Au camp; collector Philippe Annoyer .

{Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) n sp CAR JY} The photomontage is of a second minor from Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP, 20.x.2008 Journée Camp 2 03°01'49.5" N 16°08'31.7" E 567 m Au camp; collector Philippe Annoyer (NR).

{Camponotus langi minor} The photomontage is of a minor from Cameroun, Matomb/S; collector A Fotso Kuate.

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