Colobopsis annetteae

This rare species is apparently restricted to Far North Queensland. B.B. Lowery collected specimens from street trees in Cairns and noted that it appeared to mimic a red species of Podomyrma.

Identification
A member of the Camponotus macrocephalus species-group. This group has the following characters:


 * Fore femurs swollen, much greater in diameter than middle and hind femurs, generally more swollen than in most other Camponotus species.
 * Spines or bristles on the lower surfaces of the tibiae lacking, or at most, only one or two (most Camponotus species possess two rows of 5 to 10 spines).
 * Major workers and queens with the anterior of the head is truncated and flattened (phragmotic).
 * Major and minor workers present, but not intermediate-sized workers (worker caste dimorphic).

Within this group, this species can be diangosed as follows:

Whole ant clothed in short erect setae. Mesosoma with a deep, wide depression ahead of the propodeum which is raised into a dome. C. annetteae is highly distinctive and unlikely to be confused with any other species.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  annetteae. Camponotus annetteae McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 29, figs. 5, 6 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combiniation in Colobopsis: Ward, et al., 2016: 350.

Minor worker
Whole ant covered with plentiful white, short, upstanding setae; red except for slightly lighter limbs and dark brown posterior gaster. In lateral view. Head: Glossy, indistinctly reticulate, few punctations, vertex bluntly margined. Pronotum: High dome with anterior and posterior halves straight, dorsum with few flat-lying additional setae, feebly punctate. Mesonotum: Straight, long. Metanotum: Wide deep trough 0.25 mm wide with spiracles protruding to level of dorsal surface. Propodeum: Domed, near hemispherical, angle well rounded, declivity straight; spiracle protruding rearward surrounded by smooth, glossy, integument with a few short erect and flat-lying setae. Node: High, anterior face strongly concave; summit sharp, leaning forward; posterior face convex. Gaster: Red anterior, black posterior, glossy, smooth, fine flatlying pubescence. Fore femur: Swollen. Mid tibia: Plentiful sub-erect setae outside, without bristles inside. In dorsal view. Head: Sides, posterior halves slightly convex, tapering in slightly; anterior halves straight, parallel; cheeks slightly swollen, vertex, nearly straight, scape with plentiful short erect setae. Frontal carinae very wide diverging strongly scarcely converging posteriorly. Anterior extremities of frontal carinae continuing transversely, forming a step along posterior clypeus; frontal area narrow transverse; max HW well anterior to eye centre, eyes situated less than half eye width from corners. Clypeus: Wide, slightly striate with elongated punctations, no truncation, glossy with plentiful short setae, carina distinct as narrow ridge on flattish clypeus, anterior margin lateral fifths intruding, median three fifths projecting evenly convex. In front or rear view. Node: Summit widely and deeply indented with plentiful short erect setae.

Measurements
HW 1.4 mm, HL 1.5 mm, PW 1.05 mm, HT 0.95 mm, EL 0.3 mm, CAR W 0.85 mm, TL 1.3 mm.

Etymology
Named after A. Vincent, a scientific illustrator.