Camponotus cinereus

A common sight in arid and semi-arid woodlands in southern Australia, where workers scurry swiftly across the ground with their gasters vertically raised. The colour of the workers ranges from black (most commonly) to a rich red. This ant was described from Victoria. (Heterick 2009)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  cinereus. Camponotus cinereus Mayr, 1876: 62 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in C. (Myrmocamelus): Forel, 1913g: 192; Forel, 1914a: 270; in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1920b: 192; Santschi, 1928e: 481. Current subspecies: nominal plus amperei, notterae.

Description
Worker Length.7.5-9mm Ferruginous, in part dark, gaster black, sometimes head more or less black; sparse erect hairs, antennae and limbs not hairy, moderate and fine flat lying pubescence, denser pubescence on the gaster, yellow and fine; mandibles with dispersed punctations weakly curved; head glossy, finely and densely punctate coriaceous; Clypeus with a keel in the middle, the anterior margin in the case of the worker major is emarginate in the middle of its arc; thorax convex above the propodeum angle, the mesonotum and the basal part of the metanotum (= propodeum) almost straight longitudinally; the node on the petiole is thick like a rounded cube; gaster with very dense and fine transverse striations.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.