Camponotus ephippium narses

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  narses. Camponotus (Myrmocamelus) ephippium r. narses Forel, 1915b: 103 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Crawley, 1925b: 596 (s.). Combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1925b: 111.

Description
Forel (1915) Worker Length : 6-8.5 mm. Smaller than the type and above all much stouter with shorter legs and antennae. Distinguished especially by its quite even black color, whereas with ephippium the promesonotum is red at the top. The sides of the head are also distinctly convex (quite straight in the type). The head is not so compressed as with ephippium type, however flattened, not as rounded as in cinereus Mayr. The epinotum is somewhat stronger, more saddle shaped than the type. The scape surpasses the posterior border of the head by more than half its length but with the type more than two thirds of its length. The covering of pubescence on the gaster is somewhat grayish gold and stronger than with the type. The node is just as thick but above somewhat more convex. Kimberley District, Broome (NW Australia) The specimens from Broome are somewhat bigger and have a somewhat weaker covering of the gaster than those of the Kimberley District. This race seems to be polymorphic but slightly less than the type.

Worker
Crawley (1925) - Major. Length 11 mm. (Worker 6-8.5 mm.).

Black; head, except a brown triangular patch, with its apex at the ocelli, deep red; mandibles darker red, legs brown, the posterior femora sometimes red. Borders of gastric segments testaceous.

The grey pilosity and pubescence are similar to that of the worker, but the pilosity is shorter. Tibiae and scapes without erect hairs.

Head very thick and massive, broader than the thorax, the vertex much swollen; the head is as broad as long, broadest at occiput, where the angles are only slightly rounded, almost square, and prominent in profile; the sides almost straight as far as the lower cheeks, where they converge; occipital border widely and shallowly concave. There is a slight depression between the bulge of the cheeks and the frontal carinae; the latter are nearly twice as wide apart behind as in front. Mandibles thick, with six teeth. Frontal groove distinct, reaching to a pit representing the anterior ocellus. Clypeus flatter than in the worker, feebly carinate, the anterior border slightly concave in the centre, and crenulate as in the worker. 'l'he scapes extend beyond the occiput by as much as their width.

Pronotum very broad, twice as broad as long, the mesonotum considerably narrower, convex in both directions; meso-epinotal suture distinct but faint, the base concave as in the worker, but shorter in proportion; the declivity half as long as base, more vertical than in the worker, and slightly concave.

Petiole in the form of a scale, not a node as in the worker, broad, bluntly angular at top; in profile the top is bluntly pointed. Gaster nearly as broad as head.

Moderately shining. Mandibles coarsely punctate-striate. Whole of upper surface of head covered with somewhat elongate punctures, with a fine dense ground reticulation. The sculpture becomes feebler and the punctures more scattered at the sides and at the occiput, where the surface is shining. Pro- and mesonotum with a fine ground reticulation and a few punctures, epinotum more densely reticulate and matt. Gaster more abundantly provided with small punctures and microscopically reticulate. Legs with scattered punctures.