Colobopsis sanguinifrons

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

Nomenclature

 *  sanguinifrons. Camponotus (Colobopsis) sanguinifrons Viehmeyer, 1925b: 143 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA. See also: McArthur & Shattuck, 2001: 39.

Description
Worker Major. Similar to C. truncatus but likewise rufifrons at least belonging to the species of Mayr yet very different from the specimens in the Godeffroy Museum. Head somewhat shorter than truncatus without the quadratic surface, even a trace broader than long with the mandibles closed 4:3. Sides straight, posterior weakly tapering, posterior corners strongly rounded. Base rather circle shaped, concave, which through the sculpture seems finely curved as with truncatus. Clypeus twice as long as wide, with parallel sides, anterior and posterior equally wide, without a keel. Frontal area and frontal margin lacking. At the frontal area there is sometimes a somewhat stronger raised up lengthwise crease. Frontal ridges are widely separated, diverging towards the back and reaching to the height of the eye surrounds. The scape extends beyond the posterior margin of the head by almost double the thickness of the shaft; The shaft a little narrower than truncatus. The eyes taking up 1/4 of the length of the sides of the head, their posterior edge 1/2 quarter distant from the end of the head. Mandibles short and wide the outer edge weakly bent, the A border with 5 teeth, the inner third smooth. Thorax as long as the head, rather like truncatus, somewhat narrower; Promesonotal-Mesoepinotal suture distinct, sometimes weaker, sometimes more strongly impressed, Metanotum hardly at all or more less distinctly bordered; Epinotum angle quite rounded. The node of the petiole twice as wide as long scarcely higher than wide, in profile almost parallel sided, above rather elevated without an outer edge. The anterior head sculptured much finer and evenly as with truncatus: the mid part very thickly and finely wrinkled along, in between punctations; the sides and the mandibles with quite flat dimples, wrinkled almost netlike, each dimple or each punctation with one hair, the base overall being finely reticulate, completely matte. The front part of the head up to the middle of the head wrinkled lengthwise, the wrinkles combined with multiple reticulation, in addition to the hairs in the spots and the finely netted basic sculpture; posterior of the head only thickly netted with scattered spots, matte. All above finely netted and glossy. Upstanding covering of hair short and scattered, more plentiful on the head, lacking on the limbs, flat lying hair not visible, also on the limbs and scape only microscopic and sparse. Brownish black; anterior head and mandibles blood-red, scape, femurs and tarsi more or less brown, the joints always lighter, segments of the gaster whitish lined. Length 4.5-5.5 mm. Worker Minor Head rectangular, 1/5 longer than wide, sides very weakly curved slightly tapering, strongly rounded posterior corners. The head in profile is biconvex, in front not raised up. Clypeus weakly keeled, the anterior edge convex. Eyes still bigger than the.major worker. Scape extends over the posterior head by a good quarter. Mandibles with 3 visible teeth. Thorax much longer than the head with relatively long epinotum and distinctly narrower than truncatus, the epinotum laterally somewhat more compressed, but in length not so narrow as sommeri. The suture is distinct like the Major worker, the sloping surfaces of the epinotum very short. The petiole a little longer than the major worker. The whole body is finely reticulate, glossy, the mandibles almost smooth. Upstanding covering of hair quite distinct, also on the head and longer than with the major.worker; flat lying lacking. Blackish-brown, the mandibles and the narrow seam on the anterior border bright yellow, or reddish yellow, the first 2/3 of the scape and the tarsi more or less brownish yellow. Length 3.5--4 mm. Trial Bay, from burned wood from the forest. The minor.worker is quite different but certainly belongs to the Major worker. C rufifrons is quite different. The head is broader, the whole animal altogether sturdier. The head anterior and posterior equally broad,the sides weakly convex. Truncated surface oval crosswise. The clypeus wider, anterior tapering, the posterior reaching a little over the untruncated part of the head. Sculpture of the anterior head much coarser, no basic reticulation, between the forehead striations much less coarsely wrinkled. Thorax much stronger, Pronotum half as wide as the Mesonotum (with sanguinifrons only very slight), Mesonotum towards the back only slightly narrowed (strong with sanguinifrons) Metanotum very short, but on both sides very sharply restricted (with sanguinifrons not or indistinctly restricted and then much longer), Epinotum not much narrower than the anterior Mesonotum (with sanguinifrons almost 1/3 of the anterior Mesonotum), a distinctly blunter Epinotum angle, declivity somewhat longer than the basal surface. Petiole broader and longer. There is quite different coloring. Whether C.rufifrons Mayr really corresponds with F.Smith's type must remain open to question.