Key to Australian Camponotus minors of the southwestern Botanical Province

This key to minor workers is based on: [[Media:Heterick 2009.pdf|Heterick, B. E. 2009a. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206. Part 1 PDF]]

Since the publication of this key the genus Colobopsis has been removed from its synonymy with Camponotus. Colobopsis species are therefore included in this key.

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 * Australia
 * Camponotus
 * Colobopsis
 * Key to Australian Camponotus species

1

 * Inner surfaces of middle and hind tibiae lacking elongate setae (Figure 186a); frontal carinae width usually > 1/2 HW (slightly less than ½ HW in C. macrocephalus group sp. JDM 927) (Figure 250); (macrocephalus species-group) . . . . . 2


 * Inner surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with double row of stout bristles (Figure 187); frontal carinae width <1/2 HW (Figure 251) . . . . . 3

2
return to couplet #1
 * Mesosoma and node without erect setae or pubescence; venter of head capsule without erect setae; in profile, protuberances on dorsum of mesosoma smoothly rounded; propodeal spiracle near midpoint of propodeum (Figure 252) . . . . . Colobopsis gasseri


 * Mesosoma and node pubescent, erect setae on all body surface; a few erect setae on venter of head capsule; protuberances on dorsum of mesosoma rather angulate in outline; propodeal spiracle near declivitous face of propodeum (Figure 253) . . . . . Colobopsis macrocephala group sp. JDM 927

3
return to couplet #1
 * Mentum with elongate, J-shaped setae near its posterior margin (Figure 188) (C. wiederkehri species-group) . . . . . 4


 * Without elongate J-shaped setae on posterior margin of mentum (Figure 189) . . . . . 15

4
return to couplet #3
 * Head capsule strongly tapered posteriad, with fluted edges around foramen (Figure 254) . . . . . Camponotus johnclarki


 * Head capsule rounded in normal way posteriorly (Figure 255) . . . . . 5

5
return to couplet #4
 * Surfaces of tibiae and antennal scape with many erect, bristly setae (Figure 256a, b) . . . . . 6


 * Surfaces of tibiae and antennal scape lacking erect, bristly setae (Figure 257a, b) . . . . . 7

6
return to couplet #5
 * In profile, petiolar node thick, about as high as wide, pubescence on head and gaster abundant, individual setae overlapping (Figure 190b) . . . . . Camponotus gouldianus


 * In profile, petiolar node thinner, about twice as high as wide; pubescence on gaster less abundant, individual setae usually not overlapping (Figure 191b) . . . . . Camponotus terebrans

7
return to couplet #5
 * Metanotal groove strongly impressed, rising abruptly at commencement of propodeum (Figure 258a); petiolar node elongate, flattened, with anterior face much shorter than posterior face (Figure 258b) . . . . . Camponotus versicolor


 * Metanotal groove, at most, only weakly to moderately impressed (e.g. Figures 259a, 260, 261), in such cases not rising abruptly with commencement of propodeum; petiolar node variable but not normally elongate and vertex often distinctly convex, its anterior face only slighter shorter than its posterior face (Figure 259b) . . . . . 8

8
return to couplet #7
 * Angles of vertex acute; ant with 'hump-backed' appearance (Figure 192) . . . . . Camponotus postcornutus


 * Angles of vertex rounded; dorsum of mesosoma gently to moderately sinuate (e.g. Figure 193) . . . . . 9

9
return to couplet #8
 * Metanotal groove visibly impressed, propodeum distinctly convex (Figure 260); first gastral tergite may be lighter in colour than remaining tergites . . . . . 10


 * Metanotal groove vestigial or absent, propodeal dorsum straight or barely convex (Figure 261); first gastral tergite concolorous with remaining tergites . . . . . 11

10
return to couplet #9
 * In full-face view, setae on the lower sides of head capsule lacking; head and mesosoma red (Figure 262) . . . . . Camponotus wiederkehri group sp. JDM 924


 * In full-face view, head capsule with many erect setae around its perimeter; head and mesosoma orange (Figure 263) . . . . . Camponotus wiederkehri group sp. JDM 925

11
return to couplet #9
 * Eye larger, eye length about 1/4 length of head capsule (Figure 264) . . . . . Camponotus wiederkehri


 * Eye smaller (eye length 1/5 ≤ head length) (Figure 265) (ants in C. ceriseipes complex) . . . . . 12

12
return to couplet #11
 * Viewed from behind, appressed setulae on one side of gaster gradually converging towards centre of gaster, without clear central line of demarcation (Figure 266) . . . . . Camponotus ceriseipes complex sp. JDM 105


 * Viewed from behind, appressed setulae on one half of gaster the mirror image of appressed setulae on the other half, the two sides meeting in a clear line of demarcation (most noticeable on tergites 2–4) (Figure 267) . . . . . 13

13
return to couplet #12
 * Erect setae sparse on mesosoma, on propodeum 4 ≤, clustered on or near propodeal angle . . . . . Camponotus donnellani


 * Erect setae abundant on mesosoma, on propodeum 4 >, arranged along length of Sclerite . . . . . 14

14
return to couplet #13
 * Scapes relatively shorter (SI < 150); petiolar node often tending to rectangular in profile, rounded above and inclined anteriad . . . . . Camponotus ceriseipes


 * Scapes relatively longer (SI > 150); petiolar node often tending to tumular in profile, rounded above and inclined anteriad . . . . . Camponotus prosseri

15
return to couplet #3
 * Clypeus concave or with anteromedial notch; clypeus projecting beyond genae, clypeal angles acute or right-angled (C. nigriceps species-group) (Figure 200) . . . . . 16


 * Conformation of clypeus not as above . . . . . 20

16
return to couplet #15
 * Setae on venter of head capsule absent (Figure 201) . . . . . Camponotus longideclivis


 * Setae on venter of head capsule present (Figure 202) . . . . . 17

17
return to couplet #16
 * Dorsum of propodeum with 10 > erect setae, setae distributed over propodeum (Figure 203) . . . . . 18


 * Dorsum of propodeum with 10 < erect setae at or near propodeal angle (Figure 204) . . . . . 19

18
return to couplet #17
 * Head, mesosoma, node and most of gaster uniformly honey coloured . . . . . Camponotus clarior


 * Head black or brown, mesosoma yellow or red-brown . . . . . Camponotus nigriceps

19
return to couplet #17
 * Erect setae on venter of head capsule 20 >, or setae covering more than 1/2 venter area (Figure 205); typically, head dark brown or black, mesosoma yellowish to dark red and gaster brown or black, with or without yellowish colouration anteriad . . . . . Camponotus dryandrae


 * Erect setae on venter of head capsule 20 <, or setae covering less than 1/2 venter area (Figure 206); typically, head, mesosoma and gaster concolorous dark brown or black . . . . . Camponotus prostans

20
return to couplet #15
 * Head capsule behind eyes strongly attenuated, the edges of the foramen fluted or flanged (Figure 268a, b); number of mandibular teeth usually 7 or more (C. subnitidus species-complex) . . . . . 21


 * Head capsule behind eyes not strongly attenuated, the edges of the foramen normal (Figure 269a, b); number of mandibular teeth often 5 or 6 . . . . . 22

21
return to couplet #20
 * Setae on venter of head capsule absent; number of mandibular teeth 9, mesosoma reddish-brown . . . . . Camponotus rufus


 * Setae on venter of head capsule present; number of mandibular teeth 7 or 8, mesosoma ochre to brown . . . . . Camponotus tricoloratus

22
return to couplet #20
 * Body and appendages covered with short, white, erect setae; pubescence lacking on head, gaster and most of mesosoma; number of mandibular teeth 7; clypeus projecting, its anterior margin straight, without central notch or depression . . . . . Camponotus molossus


 * Body and appendages rarely covered with short, white, erect setae; if many white, erect setae present, then differing in one or more of the other characters . . . . . 23