Camponotus claripes minima

Wheeler (1934) Rottnest Island: "Workers and dealated females from several colonies nesting under stones in the following localities: Government House (X.21.'31), Lady Edeline Beach (X.23.'31), Longreach Bay (X.24.'31) (Wheeler) and City of York Bay (Grauert).

Identification
Heterick (2009) - Camponotus scratius and Camponotus minimus are both common, and, being very similar in appearance, are easily confused. Both major and minor workers, however, can be distinguished by the presence (C. scratius) or absence (C. minimus) of setae on the venter of the head capsule.

Minor workers of C. minimus vary considerably in appearance from tiny, yellowish forms from the Kwongan sand-plain north of Perth, to rather more robust brown ants in southern districts. Some workers from the goldfields have an orange mesosoma, contrasting with a dark head, petiolar node and gaster.

McArthur (2009) – Camponotus minimus lacks erect setae on the underside of the head, has wide frontal carinae with FCW > HW / 3 and is polymorphic, whereas Camponotus claripes has plentiful erect setae on the underside of the head, has narrower frontal carinae with FCW < HW / 3 and is dismorphic.

Distribution
A wide range in coastal WA, Camponotus minimus and rarely found more than a few kilometres from the coast. However, it is also found in inland sand-plain country, east of Kalgoorlie.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  minimus. Camponotus (Myrmophyma) claripes r. minima Crawley, 1922c: 31 (s.w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in C. (Thlipsepinotus): Santschi, 1928e: 483. Raised to species: McArthur, 2009: 279.

Worker
Worker (major). Length 7 mm. Dark brown; underside of head, front of pronotum,and antennae ferruginous; legs pale testaceous yellow, tarsi and joints of tibia brown; borders of segments of gaster testaceous. A few erect hairs on the body, none on the antennae or legs. Head as broad as long, broadest just behind the eyes, the sides curved and narrowing in front of the eyes, which are placed behind the middle of the sides. Occipital angles rounded, the border widely concave. Mandibles stout, with 6 teeth. Clypeus obtusely carinate, almost flat, the anterior border crenulate. Frontal carinae sigmoid, wide apart. Occelli marked by three superficial impressions. Scapes barely reach the occipital border. Thorax constricted st the meso-epinotal suture. In profile the thorax forms a gentle curve to the junction of the base and declivity of the epinotum, where it descends abruptly, the angle hardly greater than a right angle. Base and declivity equal, the latter concave. Scale broad and thin, rounded at top, in profile convex in front and flat behind. Mandibles finely punctate. Whole head microscopically reticulate. Front of head with minute shallow punctures, disappearing at the occiput. Thorax similar, but punctations less in number. Worker (minor). Length 4.4 - 5.0 mm. Brown; clypeus, cheeks, antennae,and anterior half of pronotum testaceous yellow, legs paler yellow, sometimes almost white; tarsi and joints of tibia as in major. Mandibles with 6 teeth. Clypeus as in major, but more clearly carinate. Pilosity similar. Head longer than broad, the sides almost parallel, the occipital border widely concave; the scapes pass the occipital border by a quarter of their length. Thorax as in major worker, but the base of the epinotum almost knife edged and the angle between the base and declivity less abrupt. Scale narrower and thicker. Sculpture similar to that of major worker, but smoother and minus the punctations on the head.

McArthur (2009) - Major. Head sides convex tapering anteriorly. Vertex straight. Clypeus anterior median quarter projecting forward, bounded by two blunt teeth, concave between. Mandibles with 6 teeth. FCW > HW / 3. Integument mainly glossy. Mesosoma in profile dorsum uniformly convex; Propodeal angle 90°, rounded. Metanotum raised. PD / D ~ 0.8. Petiolar node summit sharp. Erect setae on mesosoma dorsum sparse and scattered. Genae and underside of head without erect setae. Scape and tibiae without distinct setae. Colour: reddish brown, legs lighter.

Minor worker. Head sides straight, feebly tapering anteriorly. Vertex straight. Eyes large. Clypeus anterior margin projecting forward, convex. Mandibles with 6 teeth. FCW ~ HW / 3. Integument mainly glossy. Pronotum and mesonotum in profile weakly convex, propodeum uniformly strongly convex, propodeal angle indistinct. Petiolar node summit blunt. Erect setae on mesosomal dorsum sparse and scattered. Genae and underside of head without erect setae. Scape and tibiae without distinct setae. Colour: reddish brown, legs lighter.

Type Material
Mundaring, W.A. (Clark Nos. 117,121,122,131,135) Types in W.C.C. Collection.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Heterick B. E., M. Lythe, and C; Smithyman. 2012. Urbanisation factors impacting on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) biodiversity in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia: Two case studies. Urban Ecosyst. DOI 10.1007/s11252-012-0257-2
 * McArthur A. J. 2009. New species, new status and new synonymy for Camponotus from Australia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 12: 273-286.