Camponotus eremicus

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus (Myrmogonia) eremicus Wheeler, W.M. 1915g: 815, pl. 66, figs. 5, 6 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA (South Australia).
 * Combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1925b: 111;
 * combination in C. (Thlipsepinotus): Santschi, 1928e: 483.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 111; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 113; Taylor, 1987a: 12; Bolton, 1995b: 97; McArthur, 2007a: 342; McArthur, 2014: 122.

Description
Worker major. - Length, 7 mm. Head, trapezoidal, longer than broad, broader behind than in front, with straight, transverse posterior border and feebly convex cheeks. Eyes large, convex, their anterior orbits are the middle of the sides of the head. Mandibles 6-toothed, their outer margins straight at the base, strongly convex at the tips. Clypeus strongly carinate, its anterior border not produced or lobed, feebly and sinuately excised in the middle. Frontal area small, triangular, indistinct; frontal groove distinct; frontal carinae closely approximated anteriorly, curved, and more diverging behind. Antennae slender, scapes reaching two-fifths of their length beyond the posterior corners of the head. Pronotum as broad as long, flattened above, with a sharp semicircular ridge around its anterior surface, and extending back to the middle of its sides. Promesonotal suture pronounced; mesoepinotal suture absent, the mesonotum and epinotum together twice as long as broad, so compressed laterally as to be reduced dorsally to a rather sharp, blade-like edge. In profile the mesoepinotum is as high as long, the dorsal edge feebly and evenly convex and as long as the declivity, which is abrupt and feebly concave. Petiole rather narrow, cuneate in profile, thick below, with a distinct ventral protuberance, feebly convex anterior and straight posterior surface, and sharp apical border, which seen from behind is rounded and entire. Gaster of the usual shape. Legs rather slender; tibiae cylindrical. Shining; thorax slightly more opaque. Mandibles rather coarsely punctate; head and thorax densely puncatate-reticulate, gaster very finely, transversely rugulose. Hairs erect, short, very sparse, present only on the mandibles, clypeus, front and venter. Femora with a few bristles at their tips; tibiae with a sparse row of bristles along their flexor surfaces. Pubescence absent on the body, very short, sparse, and appressed on the tibiae and scapes. Black; mandibles, clypeus, cheeks and front deep-red; antennae and tarsi reddish-brown; coxae, femora, and tibiae yellow; knees infuscated. Worker minor - Length, 5.5-6 mm. Body slender; head subrectangular, about as broad behind as in front, nearly one and a half times as long as broad, with straight posterior and lateral borders. Eyes large and prominent, situated at a distance less than their length from the posterior corner of the head. Clypeus carinate, its anterior border entire, subangularly produced in the middle. Antennae very slender, reaching nearly half their length beyond the posterior corners of the head. Thorax very long, narrow, and low, less compressed behind than in the major worker, in profile evenly rounded, highest in the middle, pronotum not marginate in front and on the sides, epinotum without distinct base and declivity, but merely continuing the gentle curve of the mesonotum. Petiole with its anterior surface more convex and its upper border more transverse than in the major worker. Gaster small and narrow. Sculpture much as in the major worker, but thorax more shinning and cheeks sparsely and feebly foveolate. Pilosity much more abundant than in the large worker. There are very sparse, erect hairs on the whole upper surface, including the petiole, and also on the gula. The head is covered with sparse and rather long yellowish pubescence. Head and thorax brown, peiole and gaster black; scape and legs, except the tarsi, yellow, the latter and the anterior half of the head pale-brown. Described from a single major and three minor workers from the Everard Ranges. As all of these specimens were glued on the same card it would seem that they must have been taken from the same nest. The major and minor workers, however, differ in so many important particulars as to suggest some doubt as to their being co-specific. This species is very closely related to C. (Myrmogonia) michaelseni, Forel, from the South-western Australia, judging from Forel's description, but differs in so many details of structure, sculpture, and color that I have felt constrained to describe it as new. It is more easily distinguished from the other Australian species of the subgenus Myrmogonia: evae, Forel; oetkeri, Forel; adami, Forel; lownei, Forel; gibbinotus, Forel; and rubiginosus, Mayr.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.