Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus (Emery)

Type locality Egypt (Camponotus maculatus aegyptiacus n. subsp., Emery, 1915f: 79, worker; Menozzi, 1932e: 453, queen & male; raised to species Baroni Urbani, 1972: 130); junior synonym infrasquameus (Santschi, 1926b: 249, soldier, worker & queen) from Benin; and material of unavailable names claveaui (Santschi, 1926b: 250, worker) from Senegal, and sudanicus (Santschi, 1926b: 250, soldier & worker) from Congo; also hyskos (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus st. aegyptiacus var. hyskos, Santschi, 1938a: 41, worker) from Egypt, status questionable according to Baroni Urbani (1972: 133)all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Emery's (1915f) consideration of the maculatus-group and definition of aegyptiacus is at
Santschi's (1926b) description of sudanicus, from (French) Congo (Tilho Mission, Region de Zinder, Danagherim Sultanate, by Dr Gallard, 1910) is at ; his description of claveaui (from Dakar, Senegal, collected by Claveau) is at ; and his description of infrasquameus (from Benin (Dahomey), at Kouandé, by Desanti) is at . Santschi (1938a) noted hyskos was almost idemntical to the type aegyptiaca but had much reduced dark patches on the gaster and had a dozen hairs on the underside of the head.

Note There is no proper original description of C. aegyptiacus. All we have is Emery's note that the distinct species has almost entirely yellow legs The allocation by Santschi (1926b) of the three new varieties to aegyptiacus falls down on the following:

Larger - claveaui TL 13-14 mm, HW 3.8 mm (type 3.3 mm), hind tibia length 4.5 mm; minor head narrower and longer, scape 2.9 mm, surpassing the occiput by about half its length, head shape straighter behind the eyes

Smaller and clearly quite different - infrasquameus TL 6.5-11 mm, HW narrower (than the type at 3 mm), scape longer ( minor scape length 2.9 mm, occiput more concave, minor with narrower dark banding on the gaster, head much narrower, petiole scale much lower.

Baroni Urbani (1972: 131) ignores the size variation altogether, taking colouration as a simple matter of variation. This simplistic approach clearly has to be questioned.

In the specimens shown below the major TL is about 13 mm, HW about 2.6 mm, hind tibia length about 2.9 mm. The minor has a high narrow petiole scale and the short scape ca 2mm, as implied by Santschi. Collingwood also had the specimens from Saudi Arabia as with HW 3.5 mm or less.

Emery (1915f) laid stress on the type form of maculatus (as described by Linnaeus from the Bank's Collection in London) having ferruginous femora and black lower legs, whereas the specimens from Egypt had completely pale legs. Collingwood (1985), recording it from Saudi Arabia, noted that in profile the dorsal outline of the alitrunk is more or less continuous; the gaster with a distinct pattern of 2 or 3 yellow blotches, which merge into each other laterally giving an irregular banded effect; gula hairs present but not numerous; smaller species, HW 3.5 mm or less. He added that it is a common north east African species; mainly active at night when foragers can be seen flitting very rapidly over the ground in search of food; the minor workers are very pale.

Photographed specimens collected in Sinai, by Mike James, 2002, found under a rock by day.

Major

Other images can be seen in the folder at -

Minor