The Type of Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus, F.

By H. DONISTHORPE. F.Z.S., F.E.S.

"Dr. F. Santschi having asked me to examine and redescribe the insect named by Fabricius - Formica maculata - I have now done so. The ant in question is in the Banks' Collection at the British Museum (Natural History); it is labelled Africa and judging from what is known of the localities whence the specimens in the Banks collection came, it probably came from Sierra Leone, or near by on the West Coast.

DESCRIPTION.

Major - Head above and below, mandibles, and scapes of antenna black; funiculi testaceous (unfortunately both tips of the antenna are missing). Thorax yellow beneath; pronotum, mesonotum. scutellum, and propodeum [epinotum] anteriorly, blackish-brown. Legs yellow, tibiae and tarsi blackish brown. Petiole [scale] yellow; gaster with first three segments with broad triangular blackish patches in centre of dorsum, with narrow yellow patches on each side; extreme apical edges of segments yellow.

The puncturation of the head and body is very fine and close, that of the gaster being rather finer. Towards the base and on the declivity of the propodeum [epinotum] the puncturation runs transversely in a circular manner. (The specimen is somewhat dirty, and dull with age, which makes it: difficult to describe the puncturation very accurately.)

Head broader posteriorly, without any outstanding hairs beneath; clypeus a little longer than broad, strongly carinate in centre, with bluntly pointed side flaps, and a row of nine bristles on anterior border; mandibles with seven teeth on terminal border the apical one being long; frontal carinae with distinct raised ridges, gradually divergent, then rounded and convergent; frontal furrow distinct; cheeks without outstanding hairs.

Thorax: pronotum with long yellow outstanding hairs; scutellum distinct, nearly twice as broad as long; propodeum [epinotum] narrow, without outstanding hairs [note, hairs are present on illustrated specimens, but such hairs are easily rubbed off], declivity not steep. Posterior tibiae on apical half of posterior ventral surface (inner border of underside) furnished with a row of five or six short bristles (one anterior leg and the two intermediate legs are missing). Petiole [scale] narrowest at apex, not as high as propodeum [epinotum], furnished with four outstanding hairs; gaster with rows of strong yellow outstanding hairs on apex and base of segments. TL [Long.] about 12mm.

Original description of Formica maculata, Fabricius [Spec. Ins., 1, 491 (1781) :-
"F. nigra, thorace postice femoribusque ferrugineis, abdomine pallido maculato.
Habitat in Africa aequinoctiali. Mus. Dom. Banks.
Media . Caput magnum, atrum maxillis brevibus, multidentatis. Antennae apicae piceae. Thorax compressus, antice niger, postice ferrugineus. Abdomen ovatum, pilosum, nigrum lateribus pallido maculatis. Pedes nigri femoribus ferrugineus".

Fabricius was evidently in error when he wrote "antennae apice piceae" and really meant the scapes.

The form of maculatus with yellow tibiae from Egypt was considered until recently to be the type, but as we now see this is not the case, and, as Santschi has pointed out to me, this form (i.e. the one with yellow tibiae) will have to be renamed [see Camponotus aegyptiacus].

The maculatus group (subgenus Myrmoturba, Forel) is a very large one, and ranges over the greater part of the world. Specimens recently given me by Beck, which he captured in Madagascar, have been named by Forel - Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus, sub-sp. radamae var. becki, and others given me by Williams, which he took at Guadeloupe, Forel has named Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus, sub-sp. conspicans var. williamsi."

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