Colobopsis gasseri

Distribution
This taxon was described from Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  gasseri. Colobopsis gasseri Forel, 1894e: 233 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA. Forel, 1902h: 507 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953e: 190 (l.). Combination in Camponotus (Colobopsis): Forel, 1902h: 507; Forel, 1912i: 90. Senior synonym of caloratus, lysias, obtusitruncatus: McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 31.
 * obtusitruncatus. Camponotus (Colobopsis) gasseri r. obtusitrumcatus Forel, 1902h: 508 (s.w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA. [C. gasseri subsp. obtusitruncatus: Emery, 1925b: 148; justified emendation of spelling.] Junior synonym of gasseri: McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 31.
 * lysias. Camponotus (Colobopsis) gasseri var. lysias Forel, 1913g: 193 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of gasseri: McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 31.
 * caloratus. Camponotus (Colobopsis) gasseri subsp. caloratus Wheeler, W.M. 1934d: 162 (s.w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of gasseri: McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 31.

Description
Worker major. Length 6.5 mm. Mandibles short, obtuse, armed with about 7 teeth, dull, a little silky, abundantly punctate, densely striated wrinkled lengthwise, and in addition finely reticulate-punctate. Head is distinctly longer then wide and wider behind than in front, in the form of a trapeze, and at the posterior border slightly concave (almost straight). Eyes situated at the posterior fourth of the head near the sides. The head is truncated at the front. The truncated surface is small, short, concave, less raised up than the front and does not reach the sides of the head and comprises only the middle part of the cheeks; It is at least two times wider than long and is not distinctly bordered. The clypeus is strongly indented in two places in front, rounded in the middle, a little projecting at the middle of the anterior border,at the middle..........a little wider behind than at the front, provided with a large median longitudinal furrow at the bottom of which is found a small longitudinal ridge. The portion of the clypeus situated behind the truncation is at least twice as wide as long. The frontal area is small, insignificant. Frontal ridges are wide apart, very divergent converging towards the border of the head. There are 3 distinct pits in place of the occelli. The antennae are thick and short. The segments 5 to 10 of the funiculus are scarcely as long as wide. The thorax short, very rounded and very convex in all directions. Profoundly indented between the mesonotum and metanotum (= propodeum?); the intermediary segment is very short and is situated entirely at the bottom of the indentation. The pronotum and mesonotum combine to form a strong hump, a little longer than wide. The pro-mesonotal suture is deeply impressed. The metanotum (= propodeum?) forms at its side also a strong and short hump wider than long which does not show a distinct boundary between the basal face and the declivity; the declivity is the longer. The node is low, thick, very wide (twice as wide as high) very wide at the summit which is widely indented and thick. Gaster large, elongated. The limbs are short, subcylindrical and rather thick. The tibias are without small barbs. Moderately glossy, rather feebly shagreen (Transversely wrinkled on the gaster, reticulated on the thorax and the back of the head). Punctation sparse, piligerous, distinct on the head and still visible on the thorax but not on the gaster. The anterior 2/3 of the head is dull or silky, densely finely reticulate punctate. From the insertions of the antennae up to the outside border, the front of the head in addition is grossly wrinkled or striated lengthwise. At the front, the striations are more fine and closer together; at the sides and only passes the truncation by a little. Pilosity erect sparse and almost absent. Some yellow setae at the two extremities of the body. Flat lying pubescence extremely short, very sparse, situated at the base of the sparse barbs, more visible on the limbs and on the scape, none on the gaster. Of a brownish black. Limbs and scapes brown. The front of the head, the mandibles and segments of the antennae a darkish red or red-brown. The segments of the gaster are bordered yellow-red. Queen. Length 4.2 to 4.5 mm. Mandibles narrowed, glossy, scarcely punctated, armed with 5 to 6 teeth ?. The form of the head is similar to the major worker, but without truncation and with a convex clypeus, without a keel, sublobed (wide lobe rounded and very short), with a distinct median impression in the posterior third. Antennae thick. Segments 8 to 10 as wide as long. The scape surpasses the occiput by 1/5 of its length. The frontal ridges are wide apart, more wide apart than they are long, they are nearer to the central ridge than the sides of the head. The head is wider behind than in front and is a little convex at its posterior border. Thorax as in the major worker, but the mesonotum is much more narrow and much less convex. The indentation is still deeper and above all wider; in the prominent middle of the dorsum there are 2 stigmata, like 2 sharp teeth. The metanotum (= propodeum) forms a hump still stronger and more elevated than the major worker, also as wide as long and with a strong declivity as convex in front as behind. Node very thick, very short, wide, thick and convex at the summit (no indentation). The rest is like the worker major but the front of the head is rather glossy or sub-opaque and does not have the large wrinkles and is reticulated (but not reticulate-punctate). Some setae on the head and on the back of the gaster. Completely black, with mandibles of a yellowish red, the limbs and scapes of a very dark brown, the funiculus and the articulations of the limbs are a light reddish brown and just the segments of the gaster are bordered yellow. The rest is identical with the worker major. Perth, Western Australia. (M Chase)