Camponotus (Myrmosaga) chalceus, Crawley W. C., 1915

Crawley W. C., 1915, Ants from north and south-west Australia (G. F. Hill, Rowland Turner) and Christmas Island, Straits Settlements. Part 2, Ann. Mag Natur. Hist. 15, pp. 232-239 : 236-237

Camponotus (Myrmosaga) chalceus , sp. n.

☿ major. - L. 9-9.5 mm.

Mandibles 5-dentate, coarsely striated, with a few punctures. Clypeus shield-shaped, not carinate, with a small deep emargination at the anterior border. Frontal area in the form of a right-angled triangle. Head slightly longer than broad, the sides almost parallel for two-thirds of their length, then narrowing rapidly, posterior border feebly concave. Eyes placed at the commencement of the hinder third of sides of head. Pro-mesonotum forms a regular curve in profile, the pronotum broad, with slight shoulders. Basal surface of epinotum deeply concave longitudinally, in the form of a saddle, declivous surface abrupt, almost perpendicular, slightly shorter than the basal surface. Scale high, fairly thin, somewhat wider at the top, which is nearly straight.

Head, pro- and mesonota finely reticulate-punctate; head in addition, particularly on the clypeus and cheeks, with large irregular punctures. Epinotum and scale finely striated transversely. Gaster very finely reticulated.

Body with fairly plentiful, erect, yellowish-white hairs, more sparse on the thorax, occasionally two or three on the scapes, and a row underneath the tibiæ; both scapes and tibiæ slightly pubescent, also thorax and gaster.

Black; legs, declivous surface and sides of basal surface of epinotum, and a patch on the metasternum (and sometimes on the mesosternum) dull red. Gaster bronzed.

☿ minor. - L. 7 mm.

Emargination of clypeus wider and not so deep. The concave basal surface of epinotum longer in proportion. The epinotum is often entirely dull red, and there is a small red patch on the. mesosternum. Head sometimes with a faint bronze reflection. Scale proportionately much thicker* and more rounded on the top. Gaster bronzed.

♀ - L. 11.5 mm.

Emargination of clypeus as in ☿ major. Head rather wider than thorax. Pronotum very slightly shouldered. Basal surface of epinotum straight, and only one-third as long as the declivous surface. Sculpture as in ☿ major, except that the basal surface of epinotum is more reticuiate than striate.

Colour as in ☿ major, except that the red extends from the sides across the top of the basal surface of epinotum, and there is a red patch on the mesosternum. The top of the scale also is red.

Yallingup, S.W. Australia (Rowland Turner), g ♀.

From the description of the ☿ minor it will be seen that this ant very closely resembles the C. (Myrmosaga) dewitzii, Forel , from the Congo, described in the Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sci. nat. 1886 (☿ minor).