Camponotus aureopilus

Shattuck, S. O., 2005, Review of the Camponotus aureopilus species-group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), including a second Camponotus with a metapleural gland., Zootaxa 903, pp. 1-20 : 3-4

The Camponotus aureopilus Species-Group

Members of this species-group can be separated from most other species in the genus, and from all Old World species, by having either or both of the following characters: (1) head with an angle, ridge or strong inflection line running between the compound eye and the posterolateral corner, the area immediately below this ridge varying from weakly to strongly concave (Fig. 6); (2) the presence of numerous enlarged, closely spaced, elongate, finely barbed white or yellow hairs on the dorsum of the pronotum, mesonotum and/or gaster (Figs 24, 25). These hairs are found in dense groups and are present in all species with the exception of cyrtomyrmodes (in this species the posterolateral section of the head is strongly ridged dorsally and concave laterally). When present, these hairs will immediately identify these taxa among Old World Camponotus . A few New World species in the subgenera Manniella , Myrmaphaenus and Myrmeurynota share these characters (for example, C. personatus and C. sphaericus ), but there is no evidence of close phylogenetic relationship between these two sets of taxa.

Donisthorpe (1936, 1941a, b), who described three of the species treated here, placed his species in the subgenus Myrmophyma and, as noted below, Emery (1925) considered aureopilus as belonging here as well. This is a South-east Asian and Australian subgenus containing just over 30 species (Bolton 1995). While not currently defined in any rigorous manner, all species share a similar head shape (straight-sided and either parallel or converging anteriorly) and either a compact, highly arched mesosoma (as in the aureopilus group) or an elongate body with a low propodeum (as in ephippium (Smith) and relatives).

The aureopilus species-group, as treated here, is known to contain the following species:

aureopilus Viehmeyer

velutinus Stitz , new synonym

cyrtomyrmodes Donisthorpe

densopilus , new species

flavocrines Donisthorpe

mussolinii Donisthorpe

posteropilus , new species

subpilus , new species

thadeus , new species

xanthopilus , new species

Key to species of the Camponotus aureopilus Group based on major and minor workers

1. Dorsum of mesosoma with fewer than 6 scattered hairs and lacking patches of enlarged hairs (Figs 5, 6); anterolateral pronotum projecting as a narrow ridge (Fig. 4)

................................................................................................................ cyrtomyrmodes

- Dorsum of mesosoma and/or gaster with at least a small patch of enlarged hairs (Fig. 9); anterolateral pronotum rounded, not ridged (Fig. 1) ............................................... 2

2. Metapleural gland present above the hind leg (Figs 24, 26); enlarged hairs on dorsum of mesosoma bright yellow (Figs 23, 24) (Australia)......................................... thadeus

- Metapleural gland absent (Fig. 9); enlarged hairs on dorsum of mesosoma white (Figs 14, 15) or pale yellow-white (Figs 8, 9) (Papua New Guinea).....................................3

3. Enlarged hairs absent from pronotum (but thin erect hairs present) (Figs 2, 3, 17, 18) 4

- Enlarged hairs present on pronotum (Figs 14, 15, 19, 20)............................................6

4. Enlarged hairs on gaster limited to a small central cluster (Figs 2, 3)........... aureopilus

- Enlarged hairs on gaster covering entire dorsal surface (or nearly so) (Figs 17, 18)... 5

5. Erect hairs on dorsum of mesosoma abundant (Fig. 18); dorsal surface of head reticulo-punctate and with a matte appearance; enlarged hairs on gaster more extensive (Fig. 17)....................................................................................................... posteropilus

- Erect hairs on dorsum of mesosoma fewer (Fig. 29); dorsal surface of head with very fine leather-like sculpturing and relatively shiny; enlarged hairs on gaster less numerous(Fig. 28) ................................................................................................. xanthopilus

6. Enlarged hairs on pronotum covering the entire dorsal surface (Figs 14, 15) .............. 7

- Enlarged hairs on pronotum limited to a band along the central 1/3 of its width (Fig. 20) ....................................................................................................................................... 8

7. Enlarged pronotal hairs white (Figs 14, 15); pubescence on dorsum of head abundant and closely spaced (Fig. 13)............................................................................ mussolinii

- Enlarged pronotal hairs pale (but distinctly) yellow (Figs 8, 9); pubescence on dorsum of head thin and widely spaced (Fig. 7) ......................................................... densopilus

8. Dorsal surface of head with abundant, closely spaced pubescence; mesonotum strongly arched and dorsum of mesosoma forming a strong arch with the propodeum relatively low (similar to Fig. 6); dorsum of gaster golden yellow, lighter in color than mesosoma ...................................................................................................... flavocrines

- Dorsal surface of head with scattered, widely spaced pubescence (Fig. 19); mesonotum weakly arched and dorsum of mesosoma forming a shallow arch with the propodeum relatively high (Fig. 21); dorsum of gaster the same colour as the mesosoma..... ............................................................................................................................ subpilus