Camponotus spinitarsus

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Camponotus spinitarsus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. spinitarsus
Binomial name
Camponotus spinitarsus
Emery, 1920

Camponotus spinitarsus casent0905244 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus spinitarsus casent0905244 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Identification

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • spinitarsus. Camponotus (Dinomyrmex) spinitarsus Emery, 1920c: 22 (s.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
    • Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 91.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 91; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 119; Taylor, 1987a: 15; Bolton, 1995b: 125; McArthur, 2014: 74.

Type Material

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker major. Black, anterior extremities of the cheeks, base of mandibles and trocanter ring rusty red, legs and gaster dark brown. Thick punctations cover the top of the head and thorax which are opaque, this becomes less distinct at the sides of the head and on the occiput which are both glossy. On the cheeks and clypeus there are piligerous pits from which originate rigid and obtuse tawny colored hairs. Upper side of the head hairy. Pubescence sparse, very fine and adpressed. Pilosity on the thorax and gaster few and fawn colored. The gaster is opaque on top, striated on the sides, glossy below. Head is longer than wide with a slight narrowing to the front with a bisinuous occipital border. Clypeus has a trace of a keel with a lobe protruding but rounded. Frontal ridges sigmoid, closely converging at the front, diverging behind. Mandibles with strongly curved exterior margin, with 6 teeth, sculptured with large punctations, striated towards the base. The scape does not extend behind the occipital corners. Profile of the thorax is a wide curve, the short sloping surface of the epinotum forming a wide and very obtuse angle with the basal surface. The node in the form of a node sharp on top, equally convex at the front and behind, a little higher than long. Legs robust; tibia non-prismatic, with 2 rows of barbs on the flexor surface; metatarsi (especially those of the mid and posterior legs) armed, not only on the flexor side but also on the dorsal side with small fawm colored barbs.

Length 15 mm., head 4.1 x 3.8; thorax 5.4; scape 3.4; posterior tibia 5 mm.

Cooktown, Queesland(St. e B.-H.) a specimen.

Species akin to C. subnitidus Mayr, of which the minor worker has been described and which might conveniently be described as a sub-species. But in that one the scape measures 4.3 mm and the posterior tibia 5 mm.. Therefore it is of a distinctly bigger form. The armour of barbs on the tibia and tarsus is much weaker.

References

  • Emery, C. 1920d. Studi sui Camponotus. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 52: 3-48 (page 22, soldier described)
  • Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 91, Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex))

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Emery C. 1920. Studi sui Camponotus. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 52: 3-48.