Camponotus gibbinotus

A nocturnal ant often seen in drier areas. The minor workers are frequently found standing stationary on twigs or grass stems, with only their antennae moving. (Heterick 2009)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  gibbinotus. Camponotus gibbinotus Forel, 1902h: 498 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Forel, 1915b: 102 (s.). Combination in C. (Myrmogonia): Forel, 1914a: 209; in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1925b: 111; in C. (Thlipsepinotus): Santschi, 1928e: 483.

Description
Worker minor 5.6-6 mm long. Mandibles edged, glossy, armed with 5 teeth, punctate. The clypeus keeled or sub keeled, anterior lobe short, large, very convex. Head sub rectangular, 1/4 longer than wide, sides convex, wider behind than in front, posterior border quite straight. Frontal ridges sinuous, converging. Frontal area large, quite indistinct. Eyes large, towards the posterior third. Scapes surpass the occiput by about half their length. Pronotum sub depressed; meso metanotal (= meso propodeal) suture almost obsolete. The declivity of the metanotum (= propodeum)is strongly elevated; which makes the thorax very humped behind. Metanotum (= propodeum) very compressed, very narrow. Node is thick with a sharp border. Tibias cylindrical with a range of spines. Glossy, weakly shagreen. Sparse punctation quite distinct on cheeks. 3 or 4 yellow hairs on the body; pubescence very dilute and very fine. Limbs and scapes without erect hairs. Thorax and front of head reddish yellow. Vertex, gaster, antennae and tarsi have a little brown. Coxa, femurs and tibias a whitish yellow.

Forel,A. (1915)

Broome, Kimberley District, Perth, Western Australia. Major worker. (Not yet described) Length 8.3-9.9 mm. Mandibles with 6 teeth. Clypeus with a short lobe on the anterior border, longer than with evae, the whole length of the anterior border is crenulate. Clypeus is distinctly keeled. Head similar to the worker major of evae but the posterior margin is less concave and the top of the head is not swollen; also the sides are not as straight, but the head is longer than wide. Thorax exactly as the minor worker; node a little higher and thinner. Scape of the antennae definitely extends over the posterior head. Color darker than the minor worker: Head thorax and node pale red brown, gaster nearly black, segments red yellow. Of course the worker majors from Perth and their minors are a little darker with more or less brown gaster. The differences between the minor and major workers is less distinct in this species compared with evae, additionally because the head of the minor has no sharp sides and posterior edge. The major worker of evae appears as proof of a transition from Myrmogonia to Myrmophyma.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Greenslade P., S. Florentine, and G. Horrocks. 2012. Long term effect of fire, flood and grazing on invertebrates in Australias arid zone: Collembola and Formicidae. Soil Organisms 84(3): 569-587.
 * Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.