Camponotus mombassae

Identification
Taylor & McGavin (2020) - A medium sized ant, major (?) TL 5.6 mm. First report from Tanzania; previously known only from holotype worker from Mombassa, Kenya. There are no type images on Antweb but Forel’s description as a new species has the propodeum as very narrow, very inclined, feebly concave from front to back, much longer than the declivity from which it is separated by a very obtuse, rounded angle. One finding of 3 minor workers on O. holstii (Tree 3/56). With the specimens from Tanzania, it is quite clear that mombassae is a genuine species and that the synonymy under Camponotus acvapimensis, attributed to Wheeler (1922: 948) by Bolton (1995) was wrong. Wheeler gave no reason for his synonymy nor was there any indication that he had seen specimens of mombassae. The C. acvapimensis minor worker (CASENT0249859) has an evenly arcuate propodeal profile. In his description of Camponotus jeanneli, Santschi (1914) noted it was related also to C. mombassae “of which this may be a race”. There are clear differences, however, between jeanneli and mombassae. The latter clearly is not a member of the subgenus Tanaemyrmex. Bolton (1995) also cites Emery (1896d: 372) as having mombassae as a subspecies of Camponotus kersteni, that too was a synonymic list without reasons for the status change. There is a similarity between this and Camponotus klugii Emery, 1895, which shares the concave profile to the propodeum but appears to lack the striations on the lateral propodeum and the erect hairs on the mesonotum and the propodeum (see CASENT0905451).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus mombassae Forel, 1886f: 180 (s.) KENYA.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1892a: 119; Dalla Torre, 1893: 243; Emery, 1895a: 181.
 * Subspecies of kersteni: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 237 (footnote); Emery, 1896d: 372 (in list).
 * Junior synonym of acvapimensis: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 948; Emery, 1925b: 91; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 112.
 * Status as species: Taylor & McGavin, 2020: 13.