Camponotus gouldianus

This is one of the most commonly encountered species in this group. It can be found in a range of habitats including mallee on a number of soil types. In sandy soils nest entrances are at ground level generally close to the trunks of mallee or other tall vegetation. In heavier soils nest entrances are constructed of soil formed into a column about 30mm diameter and 100 mm tall with an entrance hole in the side near the rounded summit. The purpose of this turret is not known but is likely to be related to predator avoidance and/or to prevent water entering the nest during flooding. A nuptial flight was observed at Waikerie, South Australia on 15 May 1998 at 3pm when the temperature was 25°C. This ant is known to be the host for an unusual group of leafhoppers, members of the Eurymelidae (Hemiptera). These leafhoppers live in the ants' nests and forage nocturnally along with the ants (Day & Pullen 1999).

Identification
Erect hairs present on tibiae and stapes. Metanotal groove absent in minor workers. Propodeum with more than 40 erect short and long setae. Pubescence on head and gaster abundant, with individual hairs overlapping. In profile, dorsum of petiolar node rounded in minor workers, a blunt angle in major workers. The relatively elongate body with abundant erect hairs will separate this species from close relatives.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  gouldianus. Camponotus (Myrmophyma) gouldianus Forel, 1922: 100 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Shattuck & McArthur, 2002: 73 (s.).

Major worker
Anterior clypeal margin with a nearly straight but crenulate medial projection with angular corners. Pronotum weakly convex; posterior mesonotum, metanotum and dorsum of propodeum flat and long; propodeal angle rounded, declivity straight, ratio dorsum to declivity about 2. Anterior face of petiolar node convex, summit blunt, posterior face mostly convex. Except for funiculus, entire body covered with plentiful erect setae. Head red to dark brown, scape dark brown to black, funiculus dark brown; pronotum red-brown; propodeum red-brown; gaster black; legs lighter than mesosoma.

Minor worker
Anterior clypeal margin feebly convex, strongly projecting, crenulate, anterior corners with wide angles; medial carina blunt. Pronotum feebly convex; mesonotum and dorsum of propodeum flat and long, sometimes feebly concave, angle rounded, posterior face straight, ratio of dorsum to declivity about 3. Anterior face of petiolar node convex, summit bluntly rounded, posterior face convex. Except for funiculus, entire body covered with plentiful erect setae. Head red to dark brown, scape dark brown to black, funiculus dark brown, mesosoma, node, and gaster darker, legs lighter than mesosoma.

Measurements
Workers (n=20). Cl 0.86 (minor) — 1.11 (major); HL 1.83mm — 4.24mm; HW 1.59mm —4.71mm; ML 2.87mm — 4.91mm; MTL 2.22mm — 3.04mm; PnW 25 1,18mm — 2.66mm; SI 0.65 (major) — 1.60 (minor); SL 2.46mm — 3.08mm.

Worker minor. Length: about 8mm. A relative of cinereus Mayr. Mandibles strongly curved, short, glossy and shiny, with widely spaced points, armed with 6 teeth. Head without the mandibles 1.5 times longer than wide, sides convex almost parallel; almost as wide at the front as behind. Behind the eyes, which are small but very convex, and situated at the posterior third of the sides, the edges of the head form a simple posterior convexity without trace of an angle and directly rejoin the occipital articulation. Clypeus careened with a short anterior lobe. Frontal carinae long and as close to each other at the front as at the back, but distant in the middle by a concavity. Scapes surpass the occiput by 2.5 times their length. Promesonotum is very convex like a camels back; the basal face is much longer than the declivity. Pronotum is nearly as long as the mesonotum, but almost not convex. The node on the petiole is very long (thick), longer towards its base than its height and width, a little inclined to the front; summit rounded. Limbs long; tibias without barbs.

The whole body and limbs are sub opaque, very finely and densely reticulate punctate, covered with erect hairs which are reddish, quite short (a little oblique on the tibias) and the pubescence is more or less abundant, with a grayish aspect. Black, limbs, antennae and the border of the mandibles dark russet red. Sealake, Victoria, Australia per M Gould. In my sub genera described in 1914, I was very wrong to give ephippium as a type of the sub genus Myrmecameleus without knowing its worker major which has been revealed since then to be a Myrmophyma. I admit guilt in this respect and recognize at the same time with M Emery C. capito as a type of Mymophyma but is that sufficient reason to suppress the sub genus Myrmocameleus relating to those of the Australian species of which the vertex is not at all renfle in the case of the major worker. I permit to allow myself to doubt this and maintain my sub genus Myrmocameleus giving to it the type C. gambeyi Emery of which the worker major is known. As for C. gouldianus let us wait for the worker major to be discovered before we pronounce on this.