Camponotus (Myrmotrema) grandidieri Forel
Type location Madagascar (M Grandidier, in Forel, 1886c:
ciii, soldier & worker; Forel, 1892l: 232, male; Forel, 1912k:
166, queen); see Bolton, 1995); subspecies atrabilis (Santschi,
1915c: 273, worker) from Madagascar, comorensis (Santschi,
1915c: 274, soldier & worker) from Comoro Is, mendax
(Emery, 1895h: 54, worker; note other similarly named species,
Forel, 1895e: 454, soldier, is from India) from South Africa,
and ruspolii (Forel, 1892d: 349 - name only given;
Menozzi, 1926a: 39, queen) from Somalia: probably also
rollei (unavailable name, Forel, 1910c: 270, soldier) from
South Africa and rubrolabiatus (var of ruspolii,
Stitz, 1923: 165) from Namibia; soldier and worker
described  .
Forel had mentioned the discovery and name earlier in his
description of foraminosus (see above, Forel, 1879a) - as "described
elsewhere" but the actual publication was not until 1886.
Forel's (1886c) description was
WORKER - TL 5.0-8.2 mm; close to foraminosus but with
head triangular and a larger propodeum (rather more like subgenus
Colobopsis). Integument of a delicate nature, with short
legs and antennae which break off easily.
Head triangular with rounded sides. Mandibles short and slender,
with hairs, six-seven teeth, numerous pronounced and deep
puncturations, very finely reticulo-striate between puncturations.
Clypeus almost rectangular, with near parallel sides, no carinae,
extended forwards in a very short rectangular lobe with a straight
edge, cut away on each side of the central lobe. Thorax strongly
vaulted, especially anteriorly. Gaster also large.
Thorax, gaster, whole of head and antennal fosses puncturate like
a thimble, the puncturation very dense, giving a microscopic
granular appearance. Legs and antennae, also cheeks in major, very
finely reticulate. Petiole scale and propodeal declivity finely
and transversely striato-puncturate. Hairs arise from the large
deep round punctures (hair pits) on the genae, the spaces between
the punctures are densely packed with smaller punctures each
giving rise to a small hair, giving the whole a carious (scaly)
appearance.
The whole body is covered with coarse silvery pubescence, this is
quite short although longer on the gaster and slightly aligned,
which with the sculpture gives the ant a silky appearance. The
antennae and legs have a finer pubescence. A number of slender,
erect white hairs are scattered on the body, notably on the border
of the petiole scale and the gaster. The tibiae and scapes are
without erect hairs.
Body matt black. Antennae (except the apex of the funiculus),
tarsi, tibiae, part of the femora, mandibles (other than the teeth
on the major) reddish. In the major the anterior border of the
clypeus and the genae also reddish.
From Madagascar, collector M Grandidier.
C. foraminosus has the same sculpturation, but has an
almost flat thorax (slightly vaulted) from front to back, a very
narrow propodeum, and fine yellowish-grey pubescence forming a
pelt on the gaster.
Emery's (1895h) description of mendax is at
 .
Forel's (1910c) description of rollei is at
 .
Santschi's (1915c) descriptions are at
 .
Stitz's (1923) description of rubrolabiatus is at
 .
Arnold (1924: 731) gave translations, including rollei,
these are at
 .
Menozzi's (1926a) description of the queen of ruspolii is
at
 .
The photomontage is collated from
http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0102451
Collection Information: Specimen Code CASENT0102451; Locality
Somalia: [Somalis]; Collection codes: ANTC4664; Collected by:
Keller |
The
photomontage is collated from