Myrmosaulus

Monster-head Carpenter Ants

Diagnosis: Emery (1925). - "Worker and queen. - Large to medium species; dimorphism pronounced. Head of majors generally with lateral margins rounded, posterior margin concave; head of minors with lateral margins straight or rounded, posterior margin convex or ogival (missile-shaped), ending in some species as neck, as in Dinomyrmex and some species of Tanaemyrmex. Clypeus carinate medially or subcarinate; anterior margin produced as rectangular or rounded lobe, as in Tanaemyrmex. Mandible with 6–8 simple teeth along masticatory margin; denticles sometimes present along basal margin. Scapes slightly surpassing posterior head margin, even among majors. In workers, mesosomal dorsum rounded; metanotal-propodeal suture deeply to slightly impressed; in former case, propodeum shaped as rounded bump; metanotal spiracles very apparent on sides of mesosomal dorsum. Petiol generally more-or-less nodiform. Scapes and tibiae with fine, whitish hair (except C. aurocinctus, Fred. Smith [note: C. aurocinctus transferred to unranked wiederckehri group by Shattuck & McArthur (2002)]). Male. - (C. intrepidus, W. Kirby); with characters of Tanaemyrmex. Hairy limbs as in worker.

Geographical distribution of species. - Indomalaya, Sunda Islands, Australia; [at least?] one species in Madagascar."

(Translated and edited by B. E. Boudinot, 17 February 2017.)

Myrmosaulus is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.

Nomenclature

 *  MYRMOSAULUS [subgenus of Camponotus]
 * Myrmosaulus Wheeler, W.M. 1921a: 18 [as subgenus of Camponotus]. Type-species: Formica cinerascens, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 705.
 * [Type-species not Formica singularis, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1925b: 113, repeated in Donisthorpe, 1943f: 670.]
 * [Note that Donisthorpe, 1932c: 445, states that C. cinerascens belongs in subgenus Myrmosericus. If so then Myrmosaulus would fall as a junior synonym of Myrmosericus.]