Camponotus cordincola

The types were collected from Cordia alliodora.

Identification
I have placed this species in the subgenus Colobopsis though it resembles in the shape of its head certain species which Emery has assigned to his subgenus Pseudocolobopsis. (Wheeler 1934)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Panama.

Nomenclature

 *  cordincola. Camponotus (Colobopsis) cordincola Wheeler, W.M. 1934g: 218 (s.) PANAMA.

Worker
Soldier Length 5-5.5 mm.

Head very regularly oblong, with rectangular anterior and posterior corners, fully one third longer than broad without the mandibles; in profile higher in front than behind, obliquely truncated as far back as the beginning of the frontal carinae, the truncation concave and bluntly rounded (not marginate) on the sides. Mandibles 6-toothed, as broad as long, flattened above, with very convex external borders. Cheeks somewhat swollen dorsally, with straight, transverse, anterior borders projecting beyond the clypeus, which is fiat and ecarinate, suboblong, about one fourth longer than broad, slightly narrower in front than behind, with a short median groove at the posterior end and feebly trilobulate anterior border. Frontal area large, trapezoidal; frontal groove distinct, extending back to a shallow pit on the vertex; frontal carina: pronounced, diverging, parallel behind and continued back as far as the median level of the eyes. Eyes small, fiat, distant only slightly more than their greatest diameter from the posterior, and three times this diameter from the anterior corners of the head. Antenna: slender; scapes inserted at the middle of the frontal carinae, curved, somewhat enlarged at their tips which reach the posterior corners of the head. Thorax stout, not much longer than the head and mandibles, with evenly but not strongly arcuate dorsal outline, interrupted only by the pronounced promesonotal and mesoepinotal sutures; metanotum clearly indicated but bounded behind by a transverse groove instead of a suture; epinotum strongly compressed laterally, in profile with feebly and evenly convex base, rounding into the shorter, rather steep, concave declivity. Petiolar scale rather small, somewhat more than twice as broad as long, its anterior surface convex, its posterior surface fiat, its superior border thick, blunt, broadly rounded and feebly impressed or sinuate in the middle. Gaster elongate-elliptical. Legs rather stout; fore femora incrassated.

Shining and finely shagreened; mandibles and head, except its posterior fourth, more opaque and more coarsely shagreened; mandibles also finely punctate; cheeks with somewhat larger, shallow and not very conspicuous punctures.

Hairs yellow, short, erect and sparse, only on the dorsal surface of the head, thorax, petiolar border and borders of the gastric segments. Pubescence very fine, short, appressed, visible only on the antennae, tibiae and tarsi.

Head reddish yellow, mandibles red with black teeth; frontal carinae, anterior margins of cheeks, anterior and lateral margins of clypeus and the frontal carinae deep red. Thorax, gaster and appendages yellow, the thorax somewhat darker; each gastric segment above, except at its base and posterior border, brown.

Type Material
Described from three specimens which I took from a cauline swelling of Cordia alliodora on Barro Colorado Island, Panama.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Wheeler W. M. 1934. Neotropical ants collected by Dr. Elisabeth Skwarra and others. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 77: 157-240.