Rhinomyrmex

Big-nose Carpenter Ants

Diagnosis. Emery (1925). - "Minor worker. (After Forel) 'In lateral view, head low posteriorly, high towards frontal carinae, from the middle of which face somewhat shortened without precise truncation.'

'Clypeus produced anteriorly in form of nose or very short beak. Clypeus short, broad, strongly carinate, strongly longitudinally and transversely vaulted, or rather conical, or better still, trihedral. At two-thirds of its length, from posterior border, clypeus almost broken at right angles medially (in reality it forms a curve) and almost completely across its breadth, almost near antero-lateral angles. Anterior third of clypeus therefore truncated (analogous to genus Sima [see [Tetraponera]]) or rather reflected underneath and even posteriorly and falling almost perpendicularly to mouth. Median clypeal carina continues on anterior third of reflected portion. Anterior third of carina forming point of beak, which is on other hand formed by strong transverse convexity of clypeus, being almost conical.' 'Frontal carinae distant, strongly divergent, but less than in Mayria and still distinctly curved.'

'Eyes are located almost at head midlength relative to lateral head margins (excluding mandibles).'

Mesosoma rather strongly vaulted; dorsal surface of propodeum concave longitudinally. Petiolar scale thick, fairly low, biconvex dorsally.

Major (or soldier), queen, and male unknown.

Geographical distribution of the one species. - Sumatra.

Note: Forel (1914) assumed that this ant could well be an aberrant Colobopsis, whose soldier is still unknown; the position of the eyes speaks against this attribution. But this subgenus could perhaps be reunited at Myrmamblys. In this case, the name Rhinomyrmex would have priority. [Note: The distance between the frontal carinae is too narrow, further ruling out Colobopsis; it will be important to evaluate eye position across the heterogeneous subgenus Myrmamblys, as well as to sample taxa across the species groups of Myrmamblys to infer the position of Rhinomyrmex in a molecular framework, particularly as the former subgenus is unlikely to be monophyletic given its diversity and distribution.]"

(Translated and edited by B. E. Boudinot, 19 February 2017.)

Rhinomyrmex is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.

Nomenclature

 * RHINOMYRMEX [subgenus of Camponotus]
 * Rhinomyrmex Forel, 1886f: 192. Type-species: Rhinomyrmex klaesii, by monotypy.
 * Rhinomyrmex subgenus of Camponotus: Emery, 1896d: 374.