Camponotus nigroaeneus

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * . Formica nigroaenea Smith, F. 1858b: 40 (s.) AUSTRALIA (Victoria).
 * Lowne, 1865a: 277 (w.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1970: 650 (l.).
 * Combination in Camponotus: Mayr, 1862: 663;
 * combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 267;
 * combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1925b: 111.
 * Status as species: Mayr, 1862: 663 (redescription); Mayr, 1863: 400; Roger, 1863b: 44; Lowne, 1865a: 277; Mayr, 1876: 60 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 244; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Forel, 1907a: 34; Forel, 1910b: 74; Emery, 1925b: 111; Clark, 1929: 123; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 117; Taylor, 1987a: 14; Bolton, 1995b: 113; McArthur, 2007a: 324; McArthur, 2009: 283 (redescription); McArthur, 2010: 90; McArthur, 2014: 70.
 * Senior synonym of divus: McArthur, 2009: 283.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus xuthus.
 * Combination in C. (Myrmobrachys)'': Mackay & Mackay, 2018: 24.
 * Status as species: Kempf, 1972a: 52; Bolton, 1995b: 96; McArthur, 2012: 62.
 * divus. Camponotus nigroaeneus subsp. divus Forel, 1907a: 34 (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
 * Combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1925b: 111.
 * Subspecies of nigroaeneus: Forel, 1915b: 97; Emery, 1925b: 111; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 117; Taylor, 1987a: 14; Bolton, 1995b: 96.
 * Junior synonym of nigroaeneus: McArthur, 2009: 283.

Worker
Worker. Length 3« lines (= 7 mm). Black, with a green tinge. Head large, wider than the thorax, emarginate behind; the clypeus subcarinate, its anterior margin slightly notched in the middle; mandibles obscurely ferruginous, punctured and strongly dentate within. Thorax short, rounded in front, much narrower behind, terminating almost in a point at the verge of the truncation of the metathorax (= propodeum); the apical joints of the tarsi obscurely rufo-piccous. Abdomen ovate, thinly covered with fine silky pale yellow pubescence; the margins of the segments thinly fringed with pale glittering yellow hairs, a few hairs of the same color sprinkled over the head and thorax; scale subovate, small rounded above.

Mayr (1862): In addition to Smith's description: Worker minor. Length 6 mm. Black, almost matte, with a tinge of olive green on the gaster and thorax; on the gaster there are a few long erect hairs, a few more on the on the thorax. Pubescence not very fine flat lying is sparse on the head, denser on the thorax and gaster and very sparse on the legs. The head is finely and densely punctate like a thimble. The thorax is densely and finely striate. The gaster has fine dense transverse striations. Similar to micans the thorax is slightly convex on top and the basal and sloping surfaces of the metanotum (= propodeum) form a very distinct angle with one another. Lowne (1865): The small workers appear not to have been hitherto described. They are 2 lines (= 4 mm) long, black, with a green tinge. Head as wide as the thorax, elongated, and rounded behind. Clypeus neither carinated nor notched, thinly covered with golden hairs. In other respects the small workers are exactly like the large ones: they are very conspicuous when alive, on account of the bright golden pubescence which covers the abdomen; I know nothing of their habits, except that I have always found them on the ground.

McArthur (2009) – Major. Head sides convex tapering anteriorly. Vertex mostly flat. Clypeus anterior margin median half concave, bounded by two blunt teeth. Mandibles with 6 teeth. Pronotum feebly margined anteriorly. Mesosoma in profile convex. Propodeal angle gently convex. PD / D ~ 1.5. Petiolar node summit blunt in side view. Mesosoma in profile dorsum with about 20 fairly evenly spaced long erect setae. Underside of head with one to a few erect long setae, scape and tibiae with indistinct short setae raised a few degrees, dorsum of gaster with sparse whitish short decumbent setae. Colour: mostly black.

Minor. Head sides straight slightly tapering anteriorly. Vertex convex. Clypeus anterior margin median half with a notch. Mandibles with 6 teeth. Pronotum margined anteriorly. Mesonotum and propodeum weakly convex. Propodeal angle about 135°. PD / D ~ 2.5. Petiolar node summit blunt in side view. Mesosoma in profile dorsum with about 20 fairly evenly spaced long erect setae. Underside of head with one to a few erect long setae, scape and tibiae with indistinct short setae raised a few degrees, dorsum of gaster with sparse whitish short decumbent setae. Colour: mostly black. Morphometrics:

Holotype of C. nigroaeneus, (major worker), HW 2.2, HL 2.10, PW 1.90, FCW 0.80, HT 1.5, TL 1.55, Syntype of C. nigroaeneus divus (medium worker), HW 1.1, HL 1.5, PW 1.0, FCW 0.60, HT 0.8, TL 1.4.

Type Material
Hab. Melbourne.

McArthur (2009) – Holotype of C. nigroaeneus : major worker “Holotype BM 11 625 Melbourne Vic”. 1 syntype of C. nigroaeneus divus : 1 medium worker “Typus Mt.Victoria NSW”.



References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Clark J. 1929. Results of a collecting trip to the Cann River, East Gippsland. Victorian Naturalist (Melbourne) 46: 115-123.
 * McArthur A. J. 2009. New species, new status and new synonymy for Camponotus from Australia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 12: 273-286.