Camponotus chalceus

Camponotus chalceus is quite common in southern South Australia and Western Australia, and its Western Australia range includes the more wooded Perth suburbs. They are noctidiurnal, omnivorous and found in open forests and woodland where they construct monodomous nests in the ground layer as well as in trees, including Banksia. (Heterick 2009)

Identification
These ants are easily separated from other Camponotus by the red patch between the propodeum and the petiole, on an otherwise mostly black ant (minus the golden gaster).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Wheeler (1934) reported the following: Many workers and females taken by Mr. Glauert at Bathurst Point (III. 28.'32) and other localities on the island (Rottnest, W.A.) and numerous workers by myself in a Pittosporum log at Longreach Bay (X.24.'31). I have found this beautiful and inoffensive ant also at Kalamunda and Roleystone, in the Darling Range, in King's Park, Perth, and at Margaret River, always nesting in logs, or in the stumps of Xanthorhoea. Mr. John Clark collected it at Ludlow. The types were taken by Rowland Turner at Yallingup. In life the head and thorax of the worker have a more or less greenish tint, the gaster varying from bronze to metallic green or purple. The wings of the female (not mentioned by Crawley) are heavily infuscated, especially along their anterior borders, and have the veins and pterostigma dark brown.

Nomenclature

 *  chalceus. Camponotus (Myrmosaga) chalceus Crawley, 1915b: 236 (s.w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Emery, 1920b: 257; Santschi, 1928e: 482.

Worker
major Length 9-9.5 mm.

Mandibles 5-dentate, coarsely striated, with a few punctures. Clypeus shield-shaped, not carinate, with a small deep emargination at the anterior border. Frontal area in the form of a right-angled triangle. Head slightly longer than broad, the sides almost parallel for two-thirds of their length, then narrowing rapidly, posterior border feebly concave. Eyes placed at the commencement of the hinder third of sides of head. Pro-mesonotum forms a regular curve in profile, the pronotum broad, with slight shoulders. Basal surface of epinotum deeply concave longitudinally, in the form of a saddle, declivous surface abrupt, almost perpendicular, slightly shorter than the basal surface. Scale high, fairly thin, somewhat wider at the top, which is nearly straight.

Head, pro- and mesonota finely reticulate-punctate; head in addition, particularly on the clypeus and checks, with large irregular punctures. Epinotum and scale finely striated transversely. Gaster very finely reticulated. Body with fairly plentiful, erect, yellowish-white hairs,more sparse on the thorax, occasionally two or three on the scapes, and a row underneath the tibiae; both scapes and tibiae slightly pubescent, also thorax and gaster. Black; legs, declivous surface and sides of basal surface of epinotum, and a patch on the metasternum (and sometimes on the mesosternum) dull red. Gaster bronzed. minor Length 7 mm.

Emargination of clypeus wider and not so deep. The concave basal surface of epinotum longer in proportion. The epinotum is often entirely dull red, and their is a small red patch on the mesosternum. Head sometimes with a faint bronze reflection. Scale proportionately much ticker, and more rounded on the top. Gaster bronzed.

Queen
Length 11.5 mm. Emargination of clypeus as in worker major. Head rather wider than thorax. Pronotum very slightly shouldered. Basal surface of epinotum straight, and only one-third as long as the declivous surface. Sculpture as in worker major, except that the basal surface of epinotum is more reticulate than striate. Color as in worker major, except that the red extends from the sides across the top of the basal surface of epinotum, and there is a red patch on the mesosternum. The top of the scale also is red.

Type Material
Yallingup, S.W.Australia (Rowland Turner).