Key to Afrotropical Camponotus

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Completed
 * Myrmisolepis & Myrmopelta: Mesopropodeal suture deeply impressed, petiole a scale
 * Myrmopsamma: Specialized quetae on clypeus
 * Orthonotomyrmex: Petiole nodiform, cubical to prismatical, never a scale. Swollen propodeum

Work in progress:
 * Myrmosericus: Clypeus carinated with rectangular lobe, silky apeeareance

1

 * Petiole nodiform or scale, never with spines or other lateral processes .....2
 * Petiole with spines or other lateral processes, never purely nodiform or a scale .....buchneri sp. gr. (Phasmomyrmex)

2
return to couplet 1


 * Clypeus very distinctive, with its posterior third triangular (in the major caste), and raised over the anterior portion; a row of long hairs inserted into the border of this posterior third directed downwards, surpassing the clypeal anterior line and overhanging the mandibles; underside of the head and mandibles with long “J” shaped quetae ..... mystaceus sp. gr. (Myrmopsamma )


 * Clipeus and mandibulae without this quetae .....10

10
return to couplet 2


 * Mesopropodeal suture present and conspicuous, forming a conspicous “V” or “U” shaped furrow. Mesonotum and propodeum do not follow a continuous, smooth curved line; sometimes propodeum conspicuously separated from mesonotum and can be located lower or upper the mesosotum level .....11

NOTE: some species (XXXX) can present majors with dorsum of mesosoma forming a continuous line, but minors present a propodeum at a lower level. If only minors with this profile are present in the sample, both paths of the key should be checked
 * Mesopropodeal suture absent or faint, never forming a conspicous “V” or “U” shaped furrow. Mesonotum and propodeum follow a continuous, smooth curved line .....100

11
return to couplet 10
 * Propodeum swollen, sometimes raised over the mesonotum level, sometimes armed with small teeth. The posterior side of the propodeum normally concave, although sometimes only slightly so. Dorsal and lateral faces of the propodeum usually separated by ridges than can form small obtuse triangular teeth posteriorly. Petiole never slender or squamiform, but thick and normally cubical or rectangular ..... sericeus sp. gr. (Subg. Orthonotomyrmex)

NOTE: Camponotus scalaris presents a swollen propodeum that could fall under this description, but presents an squamiform petiole.


 * Propodeum neither raised over the mesonotum level nor with its posterior side concave and/or armed with small teeth. Petiole squamiform vividus sp. gr.

100
return to couplet 10
 * Head strongly narrowed posteriorly, trapezoidal, with its anterior width at the base of the mandibles more than doubling the occipital width. Mandibles with five teeth, the apical very long. Clypeus without carinae. Maxillary palps, antennae and legs very long, with antennae length tipycally more than three times the head length ..... 101 (Subg. Myrmoxygenys)
 * Head from ovoid to rectangular or cuadrangular. If trapezoidal with its anterior width at the base of the mandibles more than doubling the occipital width then carinae present at clypeus. Mandibles in various shapes. Clypeus with or without carinae. Antennae length less than three times the head length ..... 110

101
--- Myrmoxygenis species group: completed except Camponotus coniceps, Camponotus etiolipes, Camponotus pompeius, Camponotus pompeius cassius, Camponotus pompeius iota, Camponotus pompeius marius --- return to couplet 100
 * Overall colour pale yellow to light brownish-yellow, with zones near the occiput slightly darker ..... Camponotus caesar
 * Head dark brown to black, much darker than the rest of the body. Mesosoma and gaster can present zones dark yellow to brownish black ..... Camponotus caesar imperator

NOTE: I'd add C. pompeius and ssp., C. coniceps, C. etiolipes to this subgenus plus one species from gorongosa

110
return to couplet 100


 * Clipeus overhanging the mandibles, forming a rectangle, carinated .....111 (Myrmosericus & Tanaemyrmex)
 * Clipeus not carinated (CHK!!!) and not not overhanging the mandibles, but following a straight line with the mandibular insertionx .....300

111
--- Myrmosericus species group --- return to couplet 110
 * Whole body covered by a dense pubescence, providing a silky appeareance. Body sculpture finely and densely punctuated, creating a matt appeareance ..... 112 (Myrmosericus)
 * Whole body not covered by a dense pubescence, but, if present, a very sparse one. Body sculpture various, usually smooth and shining ..... 150 (Tanaemyrmex)

112
return to couplet 111 !!!IMPORTANT NOTE!!!: strikingly, C. zimmermanni pansus lacks this quetae, in the head but also in mesosoma and gaster, with first tergite bare:
 * Major: NOT SEEN; minor: Long erect greyish queate present in the occiptial line of head, reaching the lower extreme of the eye. Mesosoma, petiole and gaster with abundant long, erect greyish quetae. Those of the gaster not restricted to distal band of the tergite, but distributed all over the surface ..... Camponotus zimmermanni


 * Some erect quetae maybe present in the occiptial line of head, but restricted to the medial line and never reaching the lower extreme of the eye .....113

113
return to couplet 112
 * Long, thick, black numerous quetae present in mesosoma and gaster ..... 114
 * Long, thick, quetae in mesosoma and gaster either not present or of another colour .....120

114
return to couplet 113
 * Scapes strongly compressed in its apical third. Pubescence short and sparse, leaving amples zones of cuticula seen ..... Camponotus compressiscapus
 * Scapes not strongly compressed in its apical third. Pubescence long and dense, hiding the cuticula and providing a silky appeareance. ..... Camponotus eugeniae

115
return to couplet 114


 * White erect stout hairs abundant in genae and clypeus, clearly visible in frontal view surpassing the head outline between eyes and clypeal insertions ..... 116
 * Some erect quetae maybe present in genae and/or clypeus, but never abundant and not conspicuous, the head outline between eyes and clypeal insertions may present some isolated quetae, but never abundant ..... 117

116
return to couplet 115

NOTES: Complex of closely related species. Maybe some bad IDS in antweb. Petiole slender in flav major above, maybe misID in Antweb? Head less pubesccent in type, scale thicker, genae less hairy. Revise tibiae/pilosity/measurements when samples available


 * ..... Camponotus flavomarginatus
 * ..... Camponotus cinctellus


 * ..... Camponotus cosmicus

117
return to couplet 115

120

 * Head strikingly elongate, HL > 3*HW ..... Camponotus petersii

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 * Pronotum angled, or at least the dorsal and lateral surfaces meeting at a distinct angle. Sometimes a blunt tooth can appear … .....11 (Myrmopiromis & Myrmisolepis species groups)


 * Pronotum rounded … .....50

x11
return to couplet 10


 * Gaster covered with thick, conspicuous yellow quetae, although bare patches can be present .....12 (fulvopilosus sp group) (brevisetosus, detritus, fulvopilosus, storeatus)
 * Gaster without thick, conspicuous yellow quetae .....16

16
return to couplet 11
 * Gaster and petiole with thick, conspicuous white quetae. Some can also appear on mesonotum and propodeum … Camponotus niveosetosus
 * Gaster and petiole without this kind of quetae. Long quetae can be present, but never thick .....17