The Ants of Africa
Genus Camponotus subgenus Myrmosericus
Genus Camponotus

Subgenus definition Forel (1912i: 91) - with silky appearance, most with a pubescent fleece.
Also clypeus carinate, with pronounced anterior, usually rectangular, lobe (as Tanaemyrmex); petiole a narrowly nodiform; integument entirely opaque; very finely sculptured, silky and more or less covered with rather abundant pilosity, especially the gaster; nest in earth or sand.
Minors with elongated heads, in some cases highly elongated.

Emery (1895h) provided a key to what he regarded as subspecies and varieties of rufoglaucus. This is at {original description}. Arnold (1924) gave a general description of the Genus characters - this is at {original description} and provided a key to - {original description}.

Key to species

¤ Worker only described; TL 6.0 mm; extremely finely sculptured and moderately shiny; with all over very fine yellowish pubescence; generally rust-yellow with extremiities and most of appendages brownish Zanzibar - Tanzania - druryi
1 Entirely black; gaster with weak pubescence 2
-- Pubescence on gaster very dense hiding colour and sculpture; if not then head partly red 3
2 {short description of image}Major TL 9.5 mm; fundamental sculpture reticulo-punctate but finer than petersii; almost all black
Minor with highly elongated head		 South Africa - angusticeps
-- Major TL 11.0-12 mm; scapes and tibiae flattened but less than petersii Southern Africa and Zaire - eugeniae
-- {short description of image}Major TL 13.2-15 mm; scapes and tibiae flattened; fundamental sculpture reticulo-punctate; black with appendages ferruginous
Minor TL 9.5-10 mm; with highly elongated head		 Southern Africa - petersii
3 Propodeum with dorsum concave 4
-- Propodeum with dorsum not concave 5
4 TL 7.0-8.7 mm; propodeum deeply concave; dorsal edge of petiole scale subacuminate; overall brownish-red, gaster blackish-brown; pubescence on gaster greyish-white with slight yellow tint South Africa - valdeziae
-- {short description of image}{short description of image}TL 7.7-10 mm; propodeum shallowly concave; petiole scale with straight dorsal edge; mostly yellowish brick-red to dark brick-red, gaster dark brown; pubescence on gaster pale greyish-golden arranged laterally to give appearance of dark and light bands Pan-African - vestitus
5 {short description of image}{short description of image}Major TL 8-9 mm; propodeum distinctly angular specially in the major; tibiae weakly compressed, usually partly red Mozambique, Zaire, Ethiopia - cinctellus
-- {short description of image}Propodeum with a rounded transition from dorsum to declivity 6
6 {short description of image}Pubescence golden or golden yellow, converging towards distinct mid-line on gaster dorsum rufoglaucus-group 7
-- {short description of image}{short description of image}Pubescence on gaster otherwise, sometimes weakly convergent towards midline; pubescence greyish-golden Panafrican - flavomarginatus
7 {short description of image}Tibiae strongly compressed; head and part of the alitrunk red Zaire and eastern Africa - rufoglaucus
-- Tibiae not strongly compressed; head black or brown 8
8 Major large, TL 6.0-9.0 mm; elongated, black zulu ? ssp of rufoglaucus
-- Major TL 4.5-7.0 mm; gaster with golden fleece, very bright; mainly black South Africa - cosmicus
-- {short description of image}{short description of image}Major TL 4.0-6.0 mm; alitrunk dorsum vaulted; alitrunk and legs red; gaster black Ethiopia - zimmermanni
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© 2007 - Brian Taylor CBiol FIBiol FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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