Camponotus intrepidus

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  intrepidus. Formica intrepida Kirby, W., 1819: 477 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Lowne, 1865a: 277 (s.); Mayr, 1862: 659 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1968: 218 (l.). Combination in Camponotus: Mayr, 1862: 659; in C. (Myrmosphincta): Forel, 1912i: 92; in C. (Myrmosaulus): Emery, 1925b: 114. Senior synonym of agilis: Roger, 1863b: 4; Forel, 1902h: 493; of magnus: Roger, 1863b: 4. Current subspecies: nominal plus bellicosus.
 * agilis. Formica agilis Smith, F. 1858b: 37 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 4. Junior synonym of intrepidus: Roger, 1863b: 4.
 * magnus. Camponotus magnus Mayr, 1862: 673 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of intrepidus: Roger, 1863b: 4.

Description
Female

Black, red trunk and legs, with head larger than abdomen.

Length of the body 7 lines (= 14 mm).

Habitat in Australia near Port Jackson it is the most audacious and vigorous of all the Formica.

Close to F. rufae L. Body is a little shiny and black. The head is triangular, posteriorly sub emarginate and above is sparsely punctate and above is reticulate: very small openings. Stemmata inserted in pits in a triangle but the two posterior stemmata are hardly visible. Frons between the antennae is bi-carinate with very small carinae which are winding; the space between is grooved. Mandibles are very strong, punctate above,with 6 teeth. Antennae becoming reddish: scape is black. Clypeus keeled obtusely, emarginate. Thorax is compressed, with red legs; fumurs paler. Node is red, entire, hair tending to be coarse. Gaster sub ovate, black, almost hairy.

Formica agilis

Worker

Length 5 lines (= 10 mm) Head and abdomen black; antennae, thorax and legs ferruginous. Head oblong rounded behind; eyes ovate and prominent, placed backwards on the sides of the head; the clypeus with a central carina, its anterior margin,as well as that of the mandibles,ferruginous; the mandibles large, stout, triangular, and furnished with seven acute teeth within; antennae long and slender. Thorax long and narrow, and forming anteriorly a short neck; the posterior portion compressed, the metathorax rounded behind; legs elongate and slender. Abdomen ovate; the scale incrassate and nodose; the abdomen thinly sprinkled with long pale pubescence; the head and thorax, legs and antennae thinly covered with short pale pubescence. Hab. New Holland Smith, F. (1858), Formica intrepida Kirby. This species is probably the large form of F. basilis being the smaller form; this can only be decided upon by an examination of a community. F. intrepida has the head, the basal joint of the antennae, and the abdomen black; the thorax, scale and legs red; the scale is ovate and entire above; the extreme base of the scape is red; the inner margin of the mandibles is slightly rufo-piceous, and armed with six teeth; the length of the insect from the tip of the mandibles to the apex of the abdomen is 7 lines (= 14 mm). Hab. Australia. Forel (1902), Camponotus intrepidus Kirby (= agilis Smith): I have for a long time considered this race intrepidus. But it was an error. Kirby says that the head is black, submarginate behind and sparsely punctate, which is exactly the case of the form with the black head (agilis Smith). The true intrepidus is for the most part sub opaque with a glossy gaster.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Andersen A.N., and M.E. McKaige. 1987. Ant communities at Rotamah Island, Victoria, with particular references to disturbance and Rhytidoponera tasmaniensis. Proc. R. Soc. Vict 99(4):141-146.
 * Emery C. 1914. Formiche d'Australia e di Samoa raccolte dal Prof. Silvestri nel 1913. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 8: 179-186.
 * Emery, C.. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 4, no. 24 (1887): 209-258.
 * Mohamed M. 1995. A preliminary list of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Tawau Hills Park, Sabah. In: Ghazally Ismail  et al.  (eds.),  Tawau  Hills Park,  Sabah,  Pelanduk Pub.  Pp.  205-213.