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Myrmosphincta
| Myrmosphincta | |
|---|---|
| |
| Camponotus sexguttatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Myrmosphincta Forel, 1912 |
| Type species | |
| Formica sexguttata, now Camponotus sexguttatus
| |
Corsetted Carpenter Ants
Diagnosis. Emery (1925). - "Worker, soldier, and queen. - Medium species; caste dimorphism strongly pronounced: at least in C. sexguttatus, (F.) and its varieties, there are no intermediates between workers and soldiers. Head short, lateral margins convex, head not truncated anteriorly, not even in soldiers. Clypeus strongly carinate in workers, subcarinate or ecarinate in soldiers; anterior margin scalloped in minors but not in majors [soldiers]. Frontal carinae short, sinuate, somewhat wide-set and posteriorly divergent; antennal insertion situated slightly anterior to midlength of frontal carinae. Mesosomal dorsum interrupted in profile view by notch anterior to propodeum; propodeum raised and rounded, or posteriorly truncate (C. lancifer, Emery); metanotal spiracle visible in dorsal view. Petiole squamiform and lenticular, or (C. lancifer) acutely pointed apically. Cuticular sculpture differing on heads of minors and soldiers; setae long and fine, also present on scapes and tibiae. Male. Remarkably short; eyes large, strongly bulging. Antennal flagellum with short antennomeres, pedicel bulging or pyriform. Scapes and tibiae with sparse setae.
Geographical distribution of species. - Central America to the Amazon Basin; West Indies.
Note: These Ants have a striking resemblance to C. moeschi, Forel, a Malay species which I have attributed to the subgenus Myrmamblys. Is this affinity true or a fortuitous convergence? This, I cannot say. Santschi seems to be inclined towards the first alternative, for he classifies moeschi (and other species) among Myrmosphinctus."
(Translated and edited by B. E. Boudinot, 17 February 2017.)
Myrmosphincta is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- MYRMOSPHINCTA [subgenus of Camponotus]
- Myrmosphincta Forel, 1912i: 92 [as subgenus of Camponotus]. Type-species: Formica sexguttata, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 81.
- [Type-species not Formica cinerascens, unjustified subsequent designation by Forel, 1914a: 265.]
References
- Arnold, G. 1922. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part V. Myrmicinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 579-674 (page 614, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 115, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Emery, C. 1920b. Le genre Camponotus Mayr. Nouvel essai de la subdivision en sous-genres. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 8: 229-260 (page 238, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Forel, A. 1912j. Formicides néotropiques. Part VI. 5me sous-famille Camponotinae Forel. Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 20: 59-92 (page 92, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 265, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 251, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1913a. Corrections and additions to "List of type species of the genera and subgenera of Formicidae". Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 23: 77-83 (page 81, Type-species: Formica sexguttata, by subsequent designation [Type-species not Formica cinerascens, unjustified subsequent designation by Forel, 1914a: 265.] )
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 708, Myrmosphincta as subgenus of Camponotus)