Camponotus mussolinii

Known from only a limited number of collections, all from Papua New Guinea.

Identification
Shattuck (2005) - Minor. Enlarged hairs on pronotum present, white and covering the entire dorsal surface; pubescence on dorsum of head abundant and closely spaced.

This species is similar to Camponotus thadeus but differs in the colour of the erect body hairs and the abundant pubescence (the hairs are yellow and the pubescence sparse in thadeus) as well as in lacking the metapleural gland.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus (Myrmophyma) mussolinii Donisthorpe, 1936e: 528 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
 * Status as species: Chapman & Capco, 1951: 237; Bolton, 1995b: 112; Shattuck, 2005: 11 (redescription); Shattuck & Janda, 2009: 252 (in key).

Worker
Shattuck (2005) - Minor. (n=4): CI 90–92, HL 1.86–1.94 mm, HW 1.68–1.77 mm, ML 2.80–2.95 mm, MTL 2.13–2.19 mm, SI 139–163, SL 2.40–2.47 mm.

Minor. Posterolateral surface of head essentially flat and with a weak angle running between the eye and the posterolateral corner; a slight concavity is present just below this ridge near the posterolateral corner. Antennal scape long, surpassing posterior margin of head by about one-half its length. Petiolar node low, forming a blunt, rounded angle dorsally and with a slight anterior tilt. White erect hairs abundant on pronotum (but not as dense as the enlarged hairs found in other species), those on the mesonotum, propodeum, petiolar node and gaster less abundant but still numerous; appressed pubescence abundant on entire body. Colour black with legs red-brown.

Type Material
Shattuck (2005) - Two worker syntypes from Kokoda, Papua New Guinea (, examined).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * CSIRO Collection
 * Donisthorpe H. 1936. Five new species of ant (Formicidae) from various localities. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10)18: 524-530.
 * Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
 * Shattuck S. O. 2005. Review of the Camponotus aureopilus species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), including a second Camponotus with a metapleural gland. Zootaxa 930: 1-20.