Camponotus lownei

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * nitida. Formica nitida Lowne, 1865a: 277 (s.) AUSTRALIA. [Junior primary homonym of Formica nitida Razoumowsky, 1789: 427.] Replacement name: lownei Forel, 1895a: 43.
 *  lownei. Camponotus lownei Forel, 1895a: 43. Replacement name for Formica nitida Lowne, 1865a: 277. [Junior primary homonym of Formica nitida Razoumowsky, 1789: 427.] Crawley, 1922c: 33 (q.m.). Combination in C. (Myrmophyma): Forel, 1914a: 269; in C. (Myrmogonia): Emery, 1920b: 257; in C. (Thlipsepinotus): Santschi, 1928e: 483.

Description
Worker major Length 7.5-8 mm. The head (without the mandibles) 2 mm long by 1.8 mm wide, nearly square, a little wider behind than in front, strongly indented behind. Mandibles short, obtuse, punctate, armed with 5 teeth. Clypeus without lobe and almost without a keel, indented in the middle and on each side. A transverse and curved impression laterally on the cheeks. The front of the head is feebly subtruncate up to the articulation of the antennae as in Colobopsis truncata worker. The thorax very short, very rapidly narrowing behind, dorsum strongly convex; meso-metanotal suture indistinct. Basal face of the metanotum (= propodeum) very short, narrow and very convex. Declivity face very high, very abrupt, subvertical. Node oval,sharp,pointed. Gaster oval. Glossy, feebly shagreen; sides of the thorax sub opaque, more strongly wrinkled or wrinkled reticulate. Large fossae, widely spaced, pilogerous, on front, the vertex, and the dorsum of the thorax. Widely spaced punctation,regular on the cheeks. The rest of the body without punctation. Pilosity yellow, sparse,none on the tibia or tarsi which have a slightly raised pubescence. Pubescence very short and sparse elsewhere. Black. Limbs and gastric segments of a light yellow, a little testaceous. Antennae and tarsi of a reddish yellow. Border of the mandibles dark reddish. Worker minor. Length 4.7 to 5 mm. Head trapezoidal, wider behind than at the front. The eyes situated near the back. Clypeus convex, without a median indentation. Meso-metanotal suture obsolete. The entire metanotum forms a strong convexity; basal face as long as the declivity. Node thicker, not pointed. Pilosity noticeably more abundant and longer than the major worker; on the tibias and scapes, the pubescence becomes oblique pilosity. Fossae and points much more sparse and weaker than in the worker major. Color a little lighter than the major; mandibles and anterior border of the head a brownish yellow. Mackay, Queensland, M Gilbert Turner. This species appears to be without doubt a relative of C.nitidus Lowne.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * McArthur A. 2010. A guide to Camponotus ants of South Australia. Adelaide: South Australian Museum, IV + 121 pp.