Notostigma carazzii

Taylor (1992) - This species is seldom encountered diurnally, but in suitable areas its workers may be taken commonly at night on the ground. They range many metres from their nests as solitary foragers, and appear to navigate visually, yet may be taken abroad in darkness extreme to humans. Nests are constructed in the soil without a distinct mound, and have large, open entrances, usually overhung by exposed tree roots or pieces of rotting wood lying on the ground. They are frequently constructed at the bases of large trees. The upper nest chambers can often be exposed if the covering material can be lifted aside, but most chambers are deeper underground, to at least 0.5 m. Colony surrounds are quiescent during the day, and it is not usually possible to raise defenders, except by considerable excavation. At night, however, many ants may be present at nest entrances, depositing excavated soil, foraging, etc, and defenders are easily provoked to reaction. They spray formic acid (samples chemically identified by Dr T. E. Bellas), which can become locally redolent with disturbance. Most specified records are from rain forest, but several samples taken W of Paluma are from "wet sclerophyll". N. carazzii has not been encountered at some sites where I have frequently worked at night (e.g. Lake Eacham N.P .), and I suspect for this reason that its distribution might be patchy.

Identification
Taylor (1992) - This is perhaps the largest formicine, and one of the largest ants apart from Myrmecia, found in base-of-Cape-York-Peninsula rain forests. Its ground colour is very dull deep brown, almost black, with the head usually a shade darker, and largely shining in the very large-headed soldiers. Maximum head width in these can exceed 6 mm, and the occipital border may be allometrically deeply to very deeply concave in the largest individuals.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

 * Key to Australian Notostigma Species

Distribution
Queensland.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  carazzii. Camponotus carazzii Emery, 1895g: 354 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Forel, 1915b: 104 (s.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1988: 355 (l.). Combination in C. (Myrmosphincta): Forel, 1912i: 92; in Notostigma: Emery, 1920b: 253. Senior synonym of podenzanai: Taylor, 1992a: 62.
 * podenzanai. Camponotus podenzanai Emery, 1895g: 355 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in C. (Myrmosphincta): Forel, 1914a: 273; in Notostigma: Emery, 1920b: 254. Junior synonym of carazzii: Taylor, 1992a: 62.