Camponotus versicolor

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  versicolor. Camponotus (Myrmosaulus) versicolor Clark, 1930a: 122 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Shattuck & McArthur, 2002: 84.

Description
Worker major.-Length, 14.8-16 mm. Black. Cheeks, funiculus and first two segments of the gaster blood red. Terminal segments of the tarsi brown. Subopaque. Mandibles finely and densely striate. Head, thorax and gaster microscopically reticulate and finely punctate. Hair yellow, very sparse throughout, except on the clypeus and under side of the head, where they are rather long and abundant. Pubescence not apparent. Head almost one third broader than long, the occipital border concave, the sides strongly convex. Frontal carinae diverging slightly behind, with a sharp longitudinal groove between them, extending to, and including, the anterior ocellus. Clypeus broad and convex, without traces of a carina, the anterior border convex, hardly produced; there is a deep fovea on each side near the middle. Eyes circular; rather flat. The anterior ocellus only present. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by about twice their thickness; second and third segments of the funiculus of equal length, longer than the first. Mandibles large, armed with six large sharp teeth. Thorax barely twice as long as broad. Pronotum four times broader than long, strongly convex in front and on the sides. Mesonotum circular, the dorsum convex in front, flattened behind, with indications of a longitudinal groove in front. A deep, but not wide, constriction between the mesonotum and epinotum, the latter longer than broad; in profile convex from the anterior border to the bottom of the declivity, without traces of a boundary between them. Node twice as broad as long, all four sides and the dorsum convex; in profile one third higher than long, the dorsum convex. Gaster one fourth longer than broad. Legs long and robust. Worker minor.-Length, 8.5-10 mm. Color and sculpture as in the major. Pubescence much more abundant, very fine and adpressed. Head longer than broad, the occipital border strongly convex, the sides straight, parallel. Clypeus distinctly carinate. Scapes passing the occipital border by more than half their length. Eyes large and convex. Mandibles with eight to nine large sharp teeth. Thorax similar but much more slender. Node one fourth longer than broad, the anterior and posterior faces straight, the sides convex; in profile as high as long, the anterior face straight, vertical, the dorsum straight, flat, the posterior face convex, rounded into the dorsum. Legs long and slender. The rest as in the major. Habitat.-Western Australia: Emu Rocks (H.Reynolds). This very distinct species is not near any other known to me. A large series of both forms was collected by Mr Reynolds at Emu Rocks, on the Rabbit-proof Fence, East of Ongerup.