Key to Camponotus of Israel

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

This key to major workers is based on: Ionescu-Hirsch, A. 2010 (2009). An annotated list of Camponotus of Israel, with a key and descriptions of new species. Israel Journal of Entomology. 39:57-98.

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1

  • Clypeus in full-face view with anterior margin projected beyond anterior margin of gena; anterolateral corner right angle (Figs. 15, 17, and 22) . . . . . 2
  • Clypeus with anterior margin not extending beyond anterior margin of gena, broadly rounded (Fig. 18), or with anterolateral corner truncated (Fig. 21); if extending beyond anterior margin of gena, then free margin broadly emarginated medially (Fig. 16) . . . . . 17

2

return to couplet #1

  • Scape and hindtibia covered with abundant suberect and erect setae; setae longer than scape and hindtibia diameter, longest setae more than twice as long as hindtibia diameter (Fig. 53) . . . . . Camponotus floridanus (this is a US species and is not believed to have established a population in Israel)
Camponotus floridanus casent0103672 profile 1.jpg
Media
Camponotus floridanus casent0103673 profile 1.jpg
  • Erect setae on scape and hindtibia shorter and distinctly less abundant (Fig. 50), or lacking . . . . . Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) . . . . . 3

3

return to couplet #2

  • Body mainly yellow with at most, the last two gastral segments brownish; hind tibia tubular, without longitudinal ridge, oval in cross section . . . . . Camponotus turkestanus
Camponotus turkestanus casent0905308 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus turkestanus casent0905308 p 1 high.jpg
  • At least dorsum of last three gastral segments brown or black; if (rarely) body paler, hindtibia with distinct longitudinal ridge, prismatic (Fig. 54) . . . . . 4

4

return to couplet #3

5

return to couplet #4 Hind tibia with short apressed pubescence, without row of spiny bristles on ventral margin in addition to 3–4 suberect setae at distal end near spurs (Fig. 51); head and mesosoma usually light ferruginous-brown, sometimes head slightly darker . . . . . Camponotus jaliensis

Camponotus jaliensis casent0906064 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus jaliensis casent0906064 p 1 high.jpg
  • Hindtibia with at least one row of spiny bristles on ventral margin (Fig. 52); head dark brown to black . . . . . 6

6

return to couplet #5

  • Hindtibia with erect setae on dorsal surface (Fig. 50); body matte . . . . . Camponotus festai
Camponotus festai casent0905286 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus festai casent0905286 p 1 high.jpg
  • Hindtibia without erect setae on dorsal surface; at least gaster shiny . . . . . 7

7

return to couplet #6

  • Hind tibia flattened and with a distinct longitudinal ridge (Fig. 52); mesosoma black dorsally, yellow to brown ventrolaterally . . . . . Camponotus kefir
Camponotus kefir casent0281009 p 1 high.jpg
Media
Camponotus kefir casent0281027 p 1 high.jpg
  • Hind tibia without distinct longitudinal ridge; mesosoma monochromatic . . . . . 8

8

return to couplet #7

  • Mesosoma with superficial sculpture laterally, entire ant shiny . . . . . Camponotus sannini
Camponotus sannini casent0913798 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus sannini casent0913798 p 1 high.jpg
  • Mesosoma with accentuated sculpture laterally, head and mesosoma dorsum matte in major workers . . . . . Camponotus aethiops
Camponotus aethiops casent0179459 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus aethiops casent0179459 p 1 high.jpg

9

return to couplet #4

  • Ventral head surface with 1–10 erect setae (Fig. 12) . . . . . 12

10

return to couplet #9

  • At least first gaster tergite yellow anteriorly and laterally . . . . . Camponotus sanctus (in part - also #15) (in part - also #16)
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 p 1 high.jpg

11

return to couplet #10

  • Petiole paler than first gaster segment; eye large, EL/HL = 0.23–0.26 (Fig. 11) . . . . . Camponotus xerxes
Camponotus-xerxes-frontal-am-lg.jpg
Camponotus-xerxes-lateral-am-lg.jpg
  • Petiole concolorous with first gaster segment; eye small, EL/HL = 0.20–0.23 (Fig. 9) . . . . . Camponotus sinaiticus
Camponotus sinaiticus casent0281013 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus sinaiticus casent0281013 p 1 high.jpg

12

return to couplet #9

  • Hindtibia without row of bristles ventrally; clypeus slightly carinate, short (Fig. 22) . . . . . Camponotus carinifer
  • Hindtibia with a row of bristles ventrally (Figs. 49 and 54); clypeus distinctly carinate, elongated (Fig. 15) . . . . . 13

13

return to couplet #12

  • Mesosoma uniformly blackish-brown; leg uniformly yellow to ferruginous-yellow; head and mesosoma matte . . . . . Camponotus kugleri
Camponotus kugleri casent0281011 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus kugleri casent0281011 p 1 high.jpg
  • If mesosoma uniformly blackish-brown, than leg not uniformly colored, with femur partly infuscate or black; if leg uniformly pale, than mesosoma dorsum infuscate, and head and mesosoma sub-opaque or shiny . . . . . 14

14

return to couplet #13

  • Hind tibia slightly compressed laterally, without distinct dorsomedial ridge (Fig. 49) . . . . . Camponotus baldaccii . . . . . Camponotus sp. near baldaccii
Camponotus baldaccii casent0179862 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus baldaccii casent0179862 p 1 high.jpg
  • Hindtibia prismatic, with distinct dorsomedial ridge (Fig. 54) . . . . . 15

15

return to couplet #14

  • First gaster segment anteriorly and laterally, and second segment laterally, with distinctly paler areas, contrasting with dark color of rest of gaster; first and second tergites of gaster with anterolateral margins paler than middle in dorsal view . . . . . Camponotus sanctus (in part - also #10) (in part - also #16)
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 p 1 high.jpg
  • Gaster uniformly dark, or with paler area(s) restricted to first segment; gaster entirely dark in dorsal view . . . . . 16

16

return to couplet #15

  • Head and gaster of major worker entirely shiny to subopaque; minor worker shiny; bicoloured, bright black with mesosoma ventrally, petiole and macula on first gaster tergite brownish-red to yellow . . . . . Camponotus sanctus (in part - also #10) (in part - also #15)
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus sanctus casent0179882 p 1 high.jpg
  • Major worker matte, sometimes with sub-opaque gaster; minor worker matte with gaster subopaque to shiny; mesosoma varies from black to faded reddish-brown . . . . . Camponotus fellah
Camponotus fellah casent0905293 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus fellah casent0905293 p 1 high.jpg

17

return to couplet #1

  • Propodeal dorsum broad and somewhat flat, margined laterally, in profile forming a distinct angle with the declivity (Figs. 24 and 30) . . . . . 18
  • Propodeal dorsum narrow, transversally arched and not margined laterally, in profile forming an obtuse angle with the declivity (Fig. 48) . . . . . 27

18

return to couplet #17

  • Propodeum posteriorly with obtuse teeth (Fig. 26); gaster covered with thick, apressed, golden mossy pubescence . . . . . Camponotus sericeus
Camponotus sericeus casent0104896 head 1.jpg
Camponotus sericeus casent0104896 profile 1.jpg
  • Propodeum unarmed (Fig. 25); if gaster with abundant, apressed pubescence, then pubescence white . . . . . 19

19

return to couplet #18

  • Propodeum dorsum with erect setae over its surface (Figs. 31 and 36) . . . . . 20
  • Propodeum dorsum only with a transverse row of erect setae along edge with declivity (Figs. 28 and 35) . . . . . 23

20

return to couplet #19

Camponotus interjectus casent0910431 p 1 high.jpg
Minor
Camponotus interjectus casent0911142 p 1 high.jpg

21

return to couplet #20

  • At least gaster shiny; head and mesosoma finely sculptured; gaster with sparse suberect setae and apressed pubescence . . . . . Camponotus gestroi
Camponotus gestroi casent0179873 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus gestroi casent0179873 p 1 high.jpg
  • Entire body matte; head and mesosoma coarsely sculptured; gaster minutely reticulate punctulate, covered with abundant suberect setae and apressed pubescence . . . . . Camponotus libanicus
Camponotus libanicus casent0906053 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus libanicus casent0906053 p 1 high.jpg

23

return to couplet #19

  • Clypeus smooth, with two lateral projections, anterior margin entire, not incised medially (Fig. 21); mesopropodeal suture not impressed (Fig. 46) . . . . . 24
  • Clypeus subcarinate, with anterior margin incised medially (Fig. 20); mesosoma with impressed mesopropodeal suture (Figs. 28 and 38), rarely obsolete (Fig. 37) . . . . . 25

24

return to couplet #23

  • Head and gaster blackish-brown or black; mesosoma and leg ferruginous-red to reddish-brown . . . . . Camponotus kurdistanicus
Camponotus kurdistanicus antweb1008056 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus kurdistanicus antweb1008056 p 1 high.jpg
  • Head, mesosoma and leg ferruginous-red to reddish-brown, gaster black; sometimes head brown dorsally . . . . . Camponotus vogti
Camponotus vogti casent0249881 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus vogti casent0249881 p 1 high.jpg

25

return to couplet #23

  • Propodeum dorsum convex longitudinally and transversally; mesopropodeal suture slightly impressed (Fig. 38) . . . . . Camponotus rebeccae
Camponotus rebeccae casent0910432 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus rebeccae casent0910432 p 1 high.jpg
  • Propodeum dorsum with posterior half concave longitudinally, rarely flat (Figs. 24 and 25); mesopropodeal suture strongly impressed (Fig. 28) . . . . . 26

26

return to couplet #25

Camponotus dalmaticus casent0080781 head 1.jpg
Camponotus dalmaticus casent0080781 profile 1.jpg
Camponotus lateralis casent0080857 head 1.jpg
Camponotus lateralis casent0080857 profile 1.jpg

27

return to couplet #17

  • Head circular in cross section, abruptly truncate in “soldier” (Fig. 13); worker: propodeum dorsum distinctly concave in lateral view (Fig. 45); petiole scale with acute summit in lateral view; dorsum indented in front view (Figs. 45 and 58) . . . . . Colobopsis truncata
Camponotus truncatus casent0179881 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus truncatus casent0179881 p 1 high.jpg
  • Head not circular in cross section and not abruptly truncated in any sub-caste (Fig. 14); other combination of characters . . . . . 28

28

return to couplet #27

  • Propodeum dorsum concave in lateral view (Fig. 47); petiole scale thick with flat anterior and posterior surface, its contour in lateral view parallel lines converging at rounded summit (Fig. 47) . . . . . Camponotus sp. near vitiosus
  • Propodeum dorsum usually straight or convex; if slightly concave in lateral view (Fig. 48), then petiole scale with anterior surface convex; posterior surface flat; summit sharp in lateral view (Fig. 48) . . . . . 29

29

return to couplet #28

30

return to couplet #29

  • Scape with row of erect setae spread over its entire length (Fig. 23); body black, with coxae, femur, and first gaster segment anteriorly light reddish-brown; entire ant shiny . . . . . Camponotus tergestinus
Camponotus tergestinus casent0010030 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus tergestinus casent0010030 p 1 high.jpg
  • Scape without setae spread over its entire length; body brown to black; leg uniformly reddish-brown or black; head and mesosoma matte; gaster subopaque . . . . . Camponotus cilicicus
Camponotus cilicicus casent0905193 h 1 high.jpg
Camponotus cilicicus casent0905193 p 1 high.jpg

31

return to couplet #29

  • Clypeus with short triangular impression anteromedially and wide notch in middle of anterior border; gaster shiny with sparse reduced pilosity; distance between hairlets larger than their length . . . . . Camponotus (Myrmentoma) (in part) . . . . . 32
  • Free margin of clypeus truncated and impressed medially, without median notch; gaster dull, thickly covered with apressed pubescence; distance between hairlets smaller than their length . . . . . Camponotus. (Camponotus) (in part) . . . . . 33

32

return to couplet #31

  • Body uniformly black with reddish antenna and tarsus; specimen from Caucasus with head anteriorly and mesosoma pale brown . . . . . Camponotus fallax
  • Head and mesosoma red; gaster black . . . . . Camponotus sayi (this is a US species and is not believed to have established a population in Israel)
Camponotus sayi casent0005351 profile 1.jpg
Media
MCZ Camponotus sayi hal3 2.jpg

33

return to couplet #31

Camponotus vagus casent0103335 profile 1.jpg
Media
Camponotus vagus casent0008640 profile 1.jpg
  • Body mainly black, with funiculus, leg, and petiole brown . . . . . Camponotus pennsylvanicus (this is a US species and is not believed to have established a population in Israel)
Camponotus pennsylvanicus casent0103692 head 1.jpg
Camponotus pennsylvanicus casent0103692 profile 1.jpg