The Ants of Africa

The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Tanaemyrmex
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) desantii Santschi

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) desantii Santschi

Type location Benin (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps Desantii n. st., Santschi, 1915c: 280, illustrated, all forms; raised to species by Baroni Urbani, 1972: 131) from Kouande, "Upper Dahomey", by Desanti; all forms described. (see Bolton, 1995) .

{Camponotus desantii} Santschi's (1915c) description, regarding maculatus as the type, was -
MAJOR - HL 4.8 mm, HW 3.5, SL 2.8; head as broad, but longer, sides less arcuate; frontal carinae wider apart posteriorly. Scape surpassing the occiput by less. Thorax more elongated; its profile including the dorsal propodeum a smooth arc; dorsum of propodeum almost twice as long as the declivity. Petiole scale a little more rounded and slimmer. Tibiae compressed and with denticles; posterior 3.5 mm long. Sides of thorax more strongly sculptured and submatt; gaster a little more matt. Pilosity yellow rust, distributed as in maculatus. Head and thorax dorsum, up to the upper part of the propodeal declivity, and dorsum of first and second gastral segments black; funiculus, lower sides of thorax red or brown rust; everything else yellow (as in maculatus).
MINOR - SL 2.8, posterior tibia 3.0 mm; head a little longer than in maculatus, with sides parallel or slightly convex. Thorax elongated; propodeum dorsum almost flat and 75% longer than declivity. Petiole scale slightly lower. Areas which are black in the major are more rust coloured, except those on the gaster which remain black or thereabouts.
FEMALE - TL 15-16 mm, HL 3.4, HW 2.9-3.0; head straighter anteriorly, more trapezoidal than maculatus. Scapes shorter; petiole scale blunter and more slender. Wings hyaline, slightly smoky yellow around the veins and base, veins brown yellow; forewing 13 mm long. Colour and pilosity as major, except for the posterior mesonotum being shiny.
MALE - TL 8.0 mm; black; appendages rust; matt; forewing 7.0 mm.
At first sight resembling thoracicus (type location Algeria) variety minor but that has a much higher petiole scale, the pronotum is lower and more elongated and the head less convex lower. All worker morphs consistently separable from maculatus forms by the colour of the basal gaster (black). Santschi's (1915c) description is at .

From the location, presumably a savannah species.

Camponotus desantii major The photomontage is of a syntype major worker collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0903520

Camponotus desantii major The photomontage is of the type minor worker collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911936

Oxford University Museum specimens

Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) desantii B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer DA-01	12.i.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 04°22’19.4" N 18°35’49.7" E	U.V : 19h-7h, Bangui, après la corniche; 360m asl	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) desantii B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer FU	13.ii.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 02°53’07.5" N 16°10’19.1" E	Camp 4; 13.02.2005, U.V : 19h-4h30 en forêt; 378m asl	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) desantii B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer DG-02	20.i.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 04°04’34.5" N 17°02’27.7" E	Forêt de N’go; 537 m asl	1
Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) desantii B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer GR-02	22.ii.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 02°55’04.8" N 16°10’09.7" E	U.V : 18h30-5h30, à 38m du sol dans un Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon, Sterculariaceae), orage à partir de 5h40 et ce jusqu’à midi; 450 m asl	1

{Camponotus desantii major} The photomontage is of a major worker from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR GR-02).

TL ca 11.5 mm, CI 88, SI 92; clypeus with median carina diffuse and restricted to posterior; mandible with weak teeth. A near exact match for the type major shown above.

{Camponotus desantii minor} The photomontage is of a minor worker from the Central African Republic, Forêt de N’go; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR DG).

TL ca 9.6 mm, CI 67, SI 180; clypeus without medina carina other than a short posterior ridge, mandible with weak teeth; head depth over length = 64

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

Head depth over length = 64

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