Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus (Gerstäcker)

Type location Mozambique (Formica cinctella n. sp., Gerstäcker, 1859: 262, worker, queen & male) - see below, also see https://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2475
subspecies belliceps (Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus Gerst. v. belliceps n. var., Santschi, 1939c: 10, worker) Zaïre, Yangambi, Beirnaert - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
junior synonym venustus (Camponotus venustus n. sp., Mayr, 1867c: 441, worker; synonymy Emery, 1895h: 48) type locality unknown - on board ship at Gibraltar by R Frauenfeld - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
unavailable names
rufigenis (Camponotus (Myrmosericus) rufoglaucus Jerd. r. cinctellus Gerst. v. rufigenis n. v., Forel, 1913b: 341, worker) Zaïre, Sankisia, Katanga, Dr Bequaert - see https://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0910322 - seemingly a form of rufoglaucus
ustithorax (Camponotus rufoglaucus Jerdon subsp. cinctellus Gerst. var. ustithorax n. var., Forel, 1910c: 271, worker; Viehmeyer, 1922, queen & male, from Tanzania) Ethiopia, Ghinda - see https://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0910324 - seemingly a form of rufoglacus
worker, queen and male; revived to full species status by Santschi (1939c; see Bolton, 1995) .

Examination of the type images of C. (Myrmosericus) rufoglaucus Jerdon stirps cinctellus Gerst. v. vertex n. v., Santschi, 1935a: 280, worker & queen) Zaïre collected at Luluaborg, 26.i.1912, by P. Callewaert) show that to be identical to the type of Camponotus rufoglaucus.

Gerstäcker's (1859) description is at . Arnold (1924: 689) provided a translation of Gerstäcker's (1858) description; this is at . Mayr's (1867c) description of venustus is at . Forel's (1910c) description of ustithorax is at . Forel's (1913b) description of rufigenis is at . Arnold (1924) gave a translation of ustithorax, this is at . Viehmeyer's (1922) description of the ustithorax sexual forms is at . Santschi's (1939c) description of belliceps is at .

Wheeler (1922) noted the finding of five workers from Zambi (J. Bequaert), as Camponotus (Myrmosericus) rufoglaucus (Jerdon) subspecies cinctellus (Gerstaecker).

Wheeler also had Camponotus (Myrmosericus) rufoglaucus subspecies cinctellus variety rufigenis Forel, with workers from Faradje, Garamba, Stanleyville, Medje, Poko and Akenge; plus a female from Niangara (Lang and Chapin). Six of the workers from Garamba were from the stomach of a Bufo regularis and a single worker from Akenge was from the stomach of a B. funereus. The specimens from Faradje were taken while they were attending; plant-lice on young orange trees. Bolton (1995) noted the name rufigenis as "unavailable" but without any other attribution.

Santschi (1935a) described vertex as differing from the type and other varieties as follows - variety intermediate between cinctellus and ustithorax. Major worker coloured as ustithorax but with a brown spot variably extended on the vertex and missing in ustithorax. Mandibles, base of scape, dorsum of thorax and tarsi vivid red; tibiae reddish. Posterior border of head less concave, scape a little more slender. Minor workers overall darker. Also with ustithorax the anterior of the head is red up to the level of the eyes; with vertex the red continues to the anterior border of the cheeks and clypeus. Mandibles, condylar bulb and tarsi reddish. Gaster with strong, golden brown pubescence, yellow on segment borders. With rufigenis the anterior of the head is dull yellow, as are the tibiae and the femora of the front legs. He also described a queen, noting the TL 14 mm, HL 2.8-2.9, HW 2.6.

Given the clear recognition by Santschi (1935a) of these varieties as being of cinctellus, and his later revival of the full species status (Santschi, 1939c), I see sound reason to restore vertex, rufigenis and ustithorax to subspecies; of course, re-examination of the actual specimens might lead to synonymization.

The collector, P. Callewaert, described how the vertex ants came from a double nest of termites and ants, constructed against the trunk of a tree. The sides of the nest were occupied by the ants, the rest by the termites. When the nest was opened, other small reddish ants came out but it was not possible to say if these ants had a separate nest. they were carrying their larvae and did not concern themselves with the termites. Santschi added a footnote that the smaller ants were Monomorium (Paraholcomyrmex) epinotale Santschi, and, as with C. cinctellus, this could indicate a symbiosis with the termites.

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2475.

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2474.

The photomontage of the type media worker (see the media from Liberia below) is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905349.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Sudan A Omer S 2-20	2005-6 Khartoum 15.5833333° N 32.5333333° E	major worker	1
Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Rwanda G Bizimungu	2005 Bicumbi 1.9966667 S 30.3497222 E	from a coffee plantation	3
Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Mali Z Yefremova & V Kravchenko 95477	xii.2010 Sévaré 14°32' N 04°06' W	Niger River, bank of lagoon CDC trap	1
Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Mali Z Yefremova & V Kravchenko 95455	25.xii.2010 Sévaré 14°32' N 04°06' W	Niger River, bank of lagoon malaise trap	15
Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Ethiopia A Pauly	1-10.x.2012 Abijata N.P. 7°30' N 38°30' E	1635 m Yellow pan trap Minors	2
Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cinctellus B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala PF 16	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	Pitfall trap Secondary forest 473 m asl minor	1

Major

The photomontage is of a major worker from Sudan, Khartoum, collector Awatif Omer, 2014.22.

The photomontage is of a media worker from Liberia, collector E Poirier (Liabala PF 16). Matches the type worker shown above.

The photomontage is of minor workers from Rwanda, coffee plantation, collector Gabriel Bizimungu (2005).

The photomontage is of a minor from Mali, collectors Z Yefremova & V Kravchenko.

The photomontage of the type queen is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2476.

The photomontage of the type male worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=focol2477.