Camponotus midas Froggatt

Clark, J., 1930, New Formicidae, with notes on some little-known species., Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 43, pp. 2-25 : -

(2) Camponotus midas Froggatt ,

l.c., p. 390, pl. xxvii, figs. 6-9.

This species was wrongly placed in the subgenus Myrmophyma by Emery (Gen. Insect., Fasc. 183, p. 111, 1925). It is placed in the sub-genus Myrmosaulus , near C.(M.) aurocincta Smith . The workers and female are redescribed below.

Camponotus (Myrmosaulus) midas Froggatt . Worker Major.-Length, 14-15 mm. Dark brown, almost black. Head, epinotum, node and femora brown, or reddish brown. Posterior half of the first segment of the gaster, and the whole of the others bright golden yellow.

Opaque. Densely and finely reticulate-punctate throughout. Mandibles coarsely striate.

Hair reddish, long and erect, sparse throughout. Pubescence very fine and adpressed. Tibia with two rows of slender bristles. Tarsi with stronger and more numerous bristles.

Head large, one-third broader than long, almost twice as broad behind as in front, the occipital border concave, the sides strongly convex. Frontal carinae short, diverging behind, with a faint longitudinal groove between them. Clypeus convex, finely crenulate. Eyes small and fiat, placed at the posterior third of the sides, the anterior ocellus small, situated in a pit, or cavity, the posterior ocelli hardly apparent. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by barely their thickness; first segment of the funiculus as long as the third, second slightly shorter. Mandibles broad, armed with six large teeth, including the apex. Thorax one and a half times longer than broad. Pronotum four times broader than long, strongly convex in front and on the sides. Mesonotum large, three times longer than the pronotum, circular, or very slightly longer than broad. Epinotum short and broad, without traces of a bomxlary between the dorsum and declivity; in profile strongly convex longitudinally, highest at the middle of the dorsum, much lower than the mesonotum. Node fully one third broader than long, broader behind than in front, the anterior and posterior faces straight, sides convex; in profile one third higher than long, parallel, the dorsum convex. Gaster ovate, longer than broad. Legs robust.

Worker media.-Length, 11-12 mm.

Colour, sculpture and pilosity as in the major.

Head slightly longer than broad, slightly broader behind than in front, the occipital border and sides strongly convex. Clypeus more distinctly carinate. Eyes a little more convex. Mandibles armed with eight teeth, including the apex. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by fully half their length. The epinotum is abruptly truncate in front, forming a deep and wide constriction; in profile strongly convex from the top of the truncature to the bottoni of the declivity, the cavity between the mesonotum and epinotum almost as long as the dorsum of the latter. Node as long as broad, much broader behind than in front, the anterior border slightly concave, the posterior and sides convex; in profile as long as high, the anterior face straight, the dorsum and posterior face feebly convex. Gaster longer than broad. Legs long and robust.

Worker Minor.-Length, 9-10 mm.

Colour darker, except on the gaster. Sculpture and pilosity similar.

Head longer than broad, the occipital border strongly convex, the sides parallel, feebly convex. Clypeus feebly carinate. Eyes large, at the posterior third of the sides. Thorax similar. Node one fourth longer than broad, broader behind than in front, the anterior border feebly concave, the posterior border and sides convex. Legs long and slender.

Female.-Length, 16.4 mm.

Colour, sculpture and pilosity similar to the major.

Head narrower. Clypeus feebly cannate. Mesonotum, with distinct parapsidal furrows, and a faint longitudinal groove in the middle, flattened above. Scutellum convex, high. Node as in the major. Wings hyaline, with a brownish tinge, particularly at the apex.

Habitat.-Illamurta, in the James Range.

This species is very near C. aurocìncta Smith , from which it may be distinguished by the shape of the thorax and node, and the colour of the gaster. In C. aurocìncta the posterior margin of the segments is narrowly yellow. In midas the whole of the segments, except the base of the first, are entirely bright golden yellow.