Myrmamblys

Eastern False Cork-head Ants

(Compare with Colobopsis, Pseudocolobopsis and Hypercolobopsis, the cork-head, western false cork-head, and hyper false cork-head ants, respectively.)

Diagnosis: Emery (1925): "Worker, soldier, and queen. - Medium to small species; worker dimorphism generally accentuated; many species with few or no intermediate between majors (soldiers) and minors. Head of majors (or soldiers) and queens, in general, significantly longer than wide (species with short heads are exceptional), with tendency to have parallel dimensions; often more-or-less obtusely truncate anteriorly, truncation usually comprising entire clypeus. Head of minors of various forms, usually elongated, with posterior margin rounded, while this margin truncate or somewhat effaced in majors and queens. Clypeus of different forms. In minors, clypeus generally occupying almost whole of buccal rim and usually carinate and produced anteriorly as rounded lobe. In majors (soldier) and queens, clypeus usually reduced to its median part, bounded by anterior tentorial pits, this part depressed, without median carina or anterior lobe, and dominated in full-face view by the cheeks (i.e., with facies of Colobopsis).

Development of the cheeks at the expense of the clypeus is a characteristic feature of the cranial dimorphism of the subgenus Myrmamblys; it is also found, but to a lesser degree, in other subgenera, and to a degree equal to, if not more pronounced, in Colobopsis, Pseudocolobopsis, Hypercolobopsis, Myrmaphaenus, Myrmobrachys, etc. A small group of African species have majors with the middle of the anterior margin of the clypeus produced anteriorly.

Frontal carinae in general sinuate; antennal insertions placed distinctly anterior to midlength of frontal carinae. Mesosomal dorsum of workers usually continuous, but often more-or-less impressed anterior to propodeum; propodeum rarely concave posteriorly, forming saddle-like profile, or laterally marginate. Petiolar scale thin or, more rarely, thick and low. Cuticle in general shining and with fine sculpture; head of majors (and of the soldiers) and queens often wholly or partly dull and with more-or-less coarse sculpture; exceptionally, cuticle largely dull and hairy (some species of African group vividus). Male. - I know too few species of this sex to formulate a diagnosis of this heterogeneous subgenus.

Geographic Distribution of Species. - Indomalaya, Japan, Australia, Oceania, Afrotropics.

Note: (1) This subgenus is very heterogeneous and perhaps deserves to be subdivided, which could be done very easily by choosing extreme forms and providing these divisions with formal names; these species would thus become the types of new subgenera. (2) I have chosen a number of notable species, around which I have gathered informal groups, only for the purpose of facilitating orientation and research."

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

Myrmamblys is currently a subgenus of Camponotus.

Species groups of Myrmamblys
Emery (1925) divided Myrmamblys into seven species groups, within which he also indicated species with uncertain affinities. Santschi (1926) transferred several of these species groups to their own subgenera (see below).

"SPECIES OF ASIA, MALAYSIA, OCEANIA, AND AUSTRALIA

Group I: reticulatus

Diagnosis. - Dorsum of worker mesosoma continuous or interrupted, but not straight; propodeum often concave, with saddle-like profile, but neither marginate nor compressed.

Group II: greeni

Diagnosis. - Dorsal face of worker propodeum depressed and laterally marginate.

Group III: moeschi

[Note: this group was placed in its own subgenus, Myrmotemnus, by Santschi (1926).]

Diagnosis. - Mesosoma of workers distinctly constricted anterior to propodeum; propodeum raised as bump. Eyes situated very posteriorly.

SPECIES OF AFRICA

Group IV: emarginatus

[Note: this group was placed in its own subgenus, Myrmespera, by Santschi (1926).]

Diagnosis. - Clypeus of majors more-or-less produced anteriorly. Petiolar scale thin with sharp apex.

Group V: simus

[Note: this group was placed in its own subgenus, Paramyrmamblys, by Santschi (1926).]

Diagnosis: - Defined by negative characters; mostly small species; in some species, head of majors riddled with large punctures as in Myrmotrema.

Group VII: vividus

[Note: this group was placed in its own subgenus, Myrmopelta, by Santschi (1926).]

Diagnosis. - Species usually rather large. Head of majors and queens with lateral margins more-or-less parallel, with narrow clypeus which is depressed and less produced than cheeks. Worker mesosoma often impressed anterior to propodeum (Myrmopelta (part), sensu Santschi)."

Nomenclature

 *  MYRMAMBLYS [subgenus of Camponotus]
 * Myrmamblys Forel, 1912i: 90 [as subgenus of Camponotus]. Type-species: Camponotus reticulatus, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1913a: 80.
 * [Type-species not Camponotus fastigatus, unjustified subsequent designation by Forel, 1914a: 263.]