Key to Afrotropical Camponotus

1

 * Petiole nodiform or scale, never with spines or other lateral processes .....2


 * Petiole with spines or other lateral processes, never purely nodiform or a scale .....800 (Phasmomyrmex species group)

2
return to couplet 1


 * Clypeus very distinctive, with its posterior third triangular (in the major caste), and raised over the anterior portion; a row of long hairs inserted into the border of this posterior third directed downwards, surpassing the clypeal anterior line and overhanging the mandibles; underside of the head and mandibles with long “J” shaped quetae .....3 (Myrmopsamma species group, Sandy areas of Southern africa)


 * Clipeus and mandibulae without this quetae .....10

3
(Myrmopsamma species group) return to couplet 2

NOTES: mystaceus exanguis: very pale, decoloured (probable synonymy?) mystaceus kamae: very dark, brownish black. Chk head sculpture, maybe different
 * Minor: Eyes very big, its length more than half head length. Major XXXX ..... Camponotus simulans
 * Minor: Eyes smaller, its length less than one third of head length. Major:XXXX ..... Camponotus mystaceus

10
return to couplet 2


 * Mesopropodeal suture present and conspicuous, forming a conspicous “V” or “U” shaped furrow. Mesonotum and propodeum do not follow a continuous, smooth curved line; sometimes propodeum conspicuously separated from mesonotum and can be located lower or upper the mesosotum level .....11

NOTE: some species (XXXX) can present majors with dorsum of mesosoma forming a continuous line, but minors present a propodeum at a lower level. If only minors are present in the sample, both paths of the key should be checked
 * Mesopropodeal suture absent or faint, never forming a conspicous “V” or “U” shaped furrow. Mesonotum and propodeum follow a continuous, smooth curved line .....100

11
return to couplet 10
 * Propodeum swollen, sometimes raised over the mesonotum level, sometimes armed with small teeth. The posterior side of the propodeum normally concave, although sometimes only slightly so. Superior and lateral faces of the propodeum usually separated by ridges than can form small obtuse triangular teeth posteriorly. Petiole never slender or squamiform, but thick and normally cubical or rectangular (Subg. Orthonotomyrmex).....12

NOTE: Camponotus scalaris presents a swollen propodeum that could fall under this description, but presents an squamiform petiole.


 * Propodeum neither raised over the mesonotum level nor with its posterior side concave and/or armed with small teeth. Petiole squamiform .....30

12
return to couplet 11


 * Whole body without erect quetae, except some small, short, isolated ones ….. Camponotus sankisianus
 * Erect quetae present in mesosoma, petiole and gaster .....13

13
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 * Pubescence not present or, if present, short and stout. Most of the quitinous surface is visible and does not have a silky appeareance .....14


 * Mesosoma, petiole, coxae and gaster covered by a long, dense white or yellow pubescence that can impede the vision of the quitinous surface, providing an overall silky appeareance .....17

14
return to couplet 13


 * Mesosoma, petiole and gaster without any kind of pubescence or adpressed quetae. Long, thin white hairs present in mesosoma and petiole, but absent from the gaster except in the distal band of each tergite. Longitudinal striae present in mesosoma and petiole  ….. Camponotus liogaster
 * Mesosoma, petiole and gaster covered with notorious thick, small, white adpressed quetae. Some stout erect quetae present in mesosoma, petiole and gaster. Sculpture in head, mesosoma and petiole areolate and notorious ….. Camponotus scabrinodis

17
return to couplet 13


 * Head covered with very dense, long, white pubescence. Overall pilosity white .....18
 * Only the clypeus covered with dense, long, white pubescence but the rest of the head only with very scattered adpressed, isolated hairs. Mesosoma, petiole and gaster covered in long, very dense yellow pubescence ….. Camponotus sericeus

18
return to couplet 17


 * Head pubescence very long and dense, clypeus and genae almost completely covered and no patches of cuticula can be seen. Propodeum not ridged, but almost semispherical. Gaster densely covered with very long erect white hairs, its length comparable to the petiole height..... Camponotus cubangensis
 * Head pubescence abundant, but sparser, clypeus and genae with visible cuticula present in ample zones. Propodeum ridged at least in its posterior half. Gaster with sparse erect hairs, its length not comparable to petiole height ….. Camponotus mayri

30
return to couplet 11


 * Gaster covered with very dense, long yellow pubescence. Length of pubescent hairs bigger than distance between rows, thus covering the whole surface and in most cases almost completely covering the quitinous surface .....31
 * Gaster pubescence sparse to non-existant. Length of pubescent hairs smaller than distance between rows, thus not covering the whole surface and leaving ample zones of the quitinous surface exposed .....40

31
return to couplet 30


 * Overall pilosity pale yellow to yellowish grey. Gastral pubescence, although long, thin and sparse, not covering completely the tergites and leaving ample zones of tegument seen ..... Camponotus arminius


 * Overall pilosity yellow. Gastral pubescence long and abundant, covering completely the tergites and giving the whole gaster a woolly appeareance .....32

32
return to couplet 31
 * Clypeus with deep, notorious circular fosulae where quetae are inserted .....33
 * Clypeus without deep, notorious circular fosulae where quetae are inserted .....34

33
return to couplet 32
 * Clypeus and genae covered with long, stout, conspicuous yellow quetae ..... Camponotus barbarossa
 * Clypeus not covered with long, stout, conspicuous yellow quetae, although some isloated quetae con be present ..... Camponotus kollbrunneri

34
return to couplet 32


 * In dorsal view, anterior half of pronotum rounded. Declivity of propodeum obtuse..... Camponotus chrysurus
 * In dorsal view, anterior half of pronotum angulous, almost marginated, the lateral and dorsal faces forming an angle. In lateral view, declivity of propodeum a square angle..... Camponotus amphidus

40
return to couplet 30


 * Major: Propodeum clearly isolated from mesonotum by a deep furrow, the mesonotum declining well under the propodeum level and the propodeum with an anterior vertical face. minor: propodeum dorsal line well under the level of the rest of the mesosoma, the posterior part of the mesonotum almost vertical ..... Camponotus scalaris


 * Propodeum dorsal line at a similar level of the rest of the mesosoma, or higher, never completely isolated from mesonotum and lacking an anterior face .....41

41
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 * Head surface covered with profound, conspicuous circular hair pits ….. Camponotus maynei
 * Head surface not covered with profound, conspicuous circular hair pits .....42

42
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 * Dorsal outline of the mesonotum densely covered with long quetae .....43
 * Dorsal outline of the mesonotum almost bare. Long quetae present only in numbers in the posterior propodeal line and scattered over the mesonotum .....44

43
return to couplet 42


 * Head densely reticulated. Suberect quetae present on the occipital line. Whole body covered with long, stout, white quetae, those of the gaster comparable in length to petiole height ….. Camponotus erinaceus
 * Head smooth. Occipital line without quetae except in its medial line running in pairs. Lenght of erect quetae on the gaster much smaller than those on the mesosoma, these comparable to petiole height ….. Camponotus vividus

44
return to couplet 42
 * White, long, stout conspicuous erect quetae present in mesosoma and gaster ….. Camponotus braunsi
 * Erect quetae thin and inconspicuous….. Camponotus reevei

100
return to couplet 10
 * Head strongly narrowed posteriorly, trapezoidal, with its anterior width at the base of the mandibles more than doubling the occipital width. Mandibles with five teeth, the apical very long. Clypeus without carinae. Maxillary palps, antennae and legs very long, with antennae length tipycally more than three times the head length ..... 101 (Subg. Myrmoxygenys)
 * Head from ovoid to rectangular or cuadrangular, but never trapezoidal with its anterior width at the base of the mandibles more than doubling the occipital width. Mandibles in various shapes. Clypeus with or without carinae. Antennae length less than three times the head length ..... 110

101
return to couplet 100
 * Overall colour pale yellow to light brownish-yellow, with zones near the occiput slightly darker ..... Camponotus caesar
 * Head dark brown to black, much darker than the rest of the body. Mesosoma and gaster can present zones dark yellow to brownish black ..... Camponotus caesar imperator

110
return to couplet 100


 * Clipeus carinated, overhanging the mandibles, forming a rectangle .....111 (Myrmosericus & Tanaemyrmex)
 * Clipeus not carinated (CHK!!!) and not not overhanging the mandibles, but following a straight line with the mandibular insertionx .....300

111
return to couplet 110
 * Whole body covered by a dense pubescence, providing a silky appeareance. Body sculpture finely and densely punctuated, creating a matt appeareance ..... 112 (Myrmosericus)
 * Whole body not covered by a dense pubescence, but, if present, a very sparse one. Body sculpture various, usually smooth and shining ..... 150 (Tanaemyrmex)

112
return to couplet 111

800
return to couplet 1
 * Whole aspect pubescent, particularly the gaster covered with a dense yellow pubescence. Long, erect quetae present on mesosoma dorsum .....801
 * Whole aspect glabrous, particularly the gaster not covered with a dense yellow pubescence, but with a very short, very sparse pubescence, giving the gaster a glabrous appeareance. Mesosoma dorsum without erect quetae .....802

801
return to couplet 800


 * Mesopropodeal furrow deep and wide, the propodeum presenting an anterior side, and thus isolated from the rest of the mesosoma. Lateral processes of the petiolum clearly developed, its width almost as width as half the petiolum width ....Camponotus paradoxus André
 * Mesopropodeal furrow thin to almost non existant, the propodeum forming a continuous line with the rest of the mesosoma. Lateral processes of the petiolum poorly developed, its width much smaller than half the petiolum width ....Camponotus paradoxus André

802
return to couplet 800 NOTE: Worker undescribed, character derived from queen images
 * Petiolar process very developed, in the form of a trident, with a central spine and two lateral bifidus spines, the three comparable in size. Prododeum with two clearly demarcated blunt trianglular processes ..... Camponotus aberrans
 * Petiolar process without a central spine, but two lateral simple spines. Propodeum rounded..... Camponotus aberrans

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 * Pronotum angled, or at least the dorsal and lateral surfaces meeting at a distinct angle. Sometimes a blunt tooth can appear … .....11 (Myrmopiromis & Myrmisolepis species groups)


 * Pronotum rounded … .....50

x11
return to couplet 10


 * Gaster covered with thick, conspicuous yellow quetae, although bare patches can be present .....12 (fulvopilosus sp group) (brevisetosus, detritus, fulvopilosus, storeatus)
 * Gaster without thick, conspicuous yellow quetae .....16

16
return to couplet 11
 * Gaster and petiole with thick, conspicuous white quetae. Some can also appear on mesonotum and propodeum … Camponotus niveosetosus
 * Gaster and petiole without this kind of quetae. Long quetae can be present, but never thick .....17

30
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50
return to couplet 10

105
return to couplet 101


 * Clipeus notched medially .....106
 * Clipeus not notched medially, but forming a straight line .....150

102
return to couplet 105



150
return to couplet 105