Camponotus festinatus

Distribution
This taxon was described from U.S.A.

Nomenclature

 *  festinatus. Formica festinata Buckley, 1866: 164 (w.q.) U.S.A. Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 312 (s.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1970: 651 (l.). Combination in Camponotus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 231; in C. (Myrmoturba): Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 561; in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 80. Subspecies of fumidus: Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 22; Creighton, 1950a: 376. Revived status as species: Snelling, R.R. 1968b: 350. Senior synonym of pubicornis: Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 312; of spurcus: Creighton, 1950a: 376; of †juliae: Snelling, R.R. (pers. comm., unpublished). See also: Snelling, R.R. 2006: 85.
 * pubicornis. Camponotus fumidus var. pubicornis Emery, 1893i: 670 (s.w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of festinatus: Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 312.
 * spurcus. Camponotus fumidus var. spurcus Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 315 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 80. Junior synonym of festinatus: Creighton, 1950a: 376.

Determination Clarifications
This name is a poster child for taxonomic confusion. Snelling (2006) best summarized the problem: "The prevailing concept of Camponotus festinatus (Buckley, 1866) beginning with Wheeler (1902) up to and including that of Mackay and Mackay (2002) has always been uncertain. In part, this has been due to the lack of a proper description of this taxon; the original description was hopelessly vague and subsequent descriptions have done little to improve matters. A further difficulty was that over its entire range, extending from central Texas to the Pacific Coast and south well into Mexico, C. "festinatus" dis-played a bewildering array of variant forms."