Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) wellmani Forel
Type location Angola (Forel, 1909b: 67, soldier, worker &
queen); subspecies gamma (Santschi, 1926b: 257, soldier &
worker) and rufipartis (Forel, 1916: 441, worker, queen &
male) from Zaïre, collected by Kohl; all forms
described  .
Forel's (1909b) description was -
MINOR - TL 12-13 mm, HL 3.0, SL 5, posterior tibia 5.7; mandibles
smooth, with several strong, sparse puncturations; external edge
near straight, convex only at the tip, with 7 teeth. Clypeus
trapezoidal and carinate, with a marked anterior lobe. Frontal
area transverse, rhomboid. Frontal carinae close together, sinuous
and slightly divergent. Head 150% longer than anterior width,
regularly narrowing from the anterior border to the articulation
border, but that is not raised as a collar. Sides of head
regularly but only mildly convex. Eyes large and centered at
mid-length of the head. Thorax elongated and slender, mildly
convex. Propodeum with declivity shorter than dorsum. Petiole
scale cuneiform, convex on both faces, near truncated at the
summit, slightly higher than long. Tibia slender, subchanneled,
with 7-9 tiny oblique spurs and points on the internal edge.
Metatarsi channeled.
Moderately shiny, transversely shagreened in a somewhat uniform
fashion. With long silky, sharp, red brown hairs spaced across
whole body, rising out of punctules. Pubescence sparse, fine,
reddish, more abundant on the rear of the head. Tibiae and scapes
with oblique short but abundant rusty pilosity.
Colour black with slight brown tint. Legs and scapes dark brown;
mandibles and tarsi red brown.
MAJOR - TL 18 mm; HL 5; HW 4.8; shaped as in queen, but more
impressed posteriorly; petiole scale as in minor but higher and
less slender; strong puncturation spaced out.
FEMALE - TL 24 mm - mandibles strongly puncturate, 8 teeth,
feebly convex along external border. Head longer than wide,
elongated trapezoid, slightly widened posteriorly and occiput
concave. Thorax slightly larger than head. Petiole scale biconvex,
more than twice as high as long. Otherwise like minor.
Specimens - minor workers and a queen from Benguela, Angola
by Creighton Wellman; single and only major from Kapema, Kipaila,
south-eastern Zaïre, by Dr Sheffield Neave. Forel
commented it was the parent of
Camponotus
caesar but easily distinguished by the shape of the head,
with larger mandibles, crossing over less and with shorter teeth.
Forel's (1909b) description is at  ;
Forel's (1916) description of the major and of rufipartis
is at  ;
Santschi's (1926b) description of gamma is at
 ;
from Makanga, Zaïre. |
The
photomontage is of a major from Gabon, collected by Yves
Braet, 2006.
Major
Media
Minor.