Myrmespera

Vesper Carpenter Ants

Diagnosis. Santschi (1926c). - "This section corresponds to the fourth group of Myrmamblys, or the emarginatus group, recognized by Emery (1925), and which have previously been placed in Myrmophyma Forel by Arnold (1922). Myrmespera very apparently forms a group with Myrmopsamma Forel and Myrmoxygenys Emery. All three subgenera are South African, characterized by their anteriorly convex clypeal lobes, very oblique mandibles in minors, and a prominent apical tooth in majors. Their color is usually yellor, more-or-less russet, varying from brownish. Myrmespera differs from Myrmopsamma in the absence of a mustache or fringe of hairs traversing the clypeus, and from Myrmoxygenys by its much less-developed maxillary palpi, smaller size and more variable, and less-restricted head posteriorly. In addition, some forms of Myrmespera have a narrow, more or less dense lobe in the middle of the rounded edge of the clypeus (C. nasutus Ememery, and its varieties). The latter, moreover, is convex, with weak to no carination, and its anterior angles reach those of the head. Also quite different from Myrmamblys Forel. Here is a list of the species:

C. belligerum Santschi (subgenotype debellator Santschi), havilandi Arnold, crepusculi Arnold, 'cuneiscapus Forel, reei Arnold, trifasciatus Santschi, emarginatus Emery, nasutus Emery (var. pretiosus Arnold, var. quinquedentatus Forel, var. subnasutus Arnold).

The form of the mandibles of this subgenus suggests more or less parasitic queens, and color, a nocturnal or crepuscular life, hence its name."

(Translated and edited by B. E. Boudinot, 17 February 2017.)

Myrmespera is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.

Nomenclature

 *  MYRMESPERA [subgenus of Camponotus]
 * Myrmespera Santschi, 1926b: 247 [as subgenus of Camponotus]. Type-species: Camponotus (Myrmespera) debellator, by subsequent designation of Santschi, 1926c: 604.