Myrmepinotus

Box-back Carpenter Ants

(See also Orthonotomyrmex, Myrmopiromis, Myrmotrema, and Myrmisolepis.)

Diagnosis. Emery (1925). - "Worker and queen. - Medium to small species; caste dimorphism generally pronounced less than Orthonotomyrmex. Head of majors of same form as Orthonotomyrmex, but usually only slightly larger than pronotum, and without ocelli. Clypeus as in Orthonotomyrmex. Dorsum of mesosoma more-or-less depressed; pronotum broad, marginate or submarginate; more-or-less deep impressent present anterior to propodeum; propodeum marginate or submarginate laterally and posteriorly, propodeum weakly bidentate (ethicus, Forel) or rectangular (robustus, Roger), or propodeum very short and strongly sloping posterior, and dorsal face merges with posterior face (echinoploides, Forel) (Plate 3, Figure 6); C. edmondi, Ernst André, is transitional between these two forms. Petiole surmounted by more-or-less thick scale, dorsal apex thinned; in C. echinoploides, petiolar scale large, very thick, almost nodiform in profile, but dorsal apex with transverse carina; C. edmondi transitions to this form. Cuticle completely black, matte, often with sparse, white, silky setae. Male.- I know those of C. ethicus and specimens which may perhaps belong to C. robustus. These have short heads, broad mandibles, with scape extending past posterior head margin about half its length, with relatively short flagellum, pedicel slightly swollen, other antennomeres diminishing in leng thapically.

Geographical distribution of species. - Madagascar."

(Translated and edited by B. E. Boudinot, 17 February 2017.)

Myrmepinotus is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.

Nomenclature

 *  MYRMEPINOTUS [subgenus of Camponotus]
 * Myrmepinotus Santschi, 1921f: 312 [as subgenus of Camponotus]. Type-species: Camponotus echinoploides, by original designation.