Camponotus (Myrmotrema) olivieri Forel

Type location Angola (Forel, 1886f: 175, soldier, worker & queen); subspecies concordius (Santschi, 1915c: 272, soldier & worker) and lemma (Forel, 1886f: 176, worker & queen) from Angola, delagoensis (Forel, 1894b: 68, soldier & worker) from Mozambique, freyeri (Forel, 1912k: 166; Santschi, 1915c: 270, worker) from Aldabra I., Seychelles, infelix (Santschi, 1915c: 270, soldier & worker) and tenuipilis (Emery, 1895h: 54, worker; Santschi, 1915c: 270, in key, worker) from South Africa, moshianus (var of lemma, Forel, 1907a: 31; Santschi, 1915c: 270, worker) from Tanzania, nitidior (Santschi, 1926c: 671, worker) from Zaïre, osiris (Forel, 1911f: 281, worker) from Zaïre, collected at Congo da Lemba, by R. Mayné; and sorptus (Forel, 1909b: 62, and Santschi, 1915c: 270, soldier, worker & queen) from Zaïre, patersoni (Arnold, 1959: 337, illustrated, soldier & worker) from Botswana and pax (as a variety of the stirps tauricollis Santschi, 1915c: 273; Menozzi, 1942c: 180, soldier & worker) from Cameroun; unavailable name fricatus (C. tauricollis var. osiris str fricatus, Santschi, 1926c: 616, worker) from Zaïre .

Forel's (1886f) description is at , it is compared with the type foraminosus. Forel's (1886f) description of lemma is at . Forel (1907a) described moshiana minor as being somewhat small than the type, with the propodeum dorsum a little longer. Forel (1911f) described osiris, media and minor only, TL 4.2-6.5 mm, similar to puberulus but gaster shiny and feebly shagreened. Forel's (1894b) description of delagoensis is at , Forel's (1912k) description of freyeri is at , Forel's (1914d) description of infelix is at , Santschi's (1915c) descriptions of concordia and pax are at . Santschi's (1926c) description of fricatus & nitidior is at , Arnold's (1959) description of patersoni is at ,

The photomontage is of a cotype of Camponotus olivieri. The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.

The photomontage is of a specimen of a minor, appearing to match the type form, from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006.

Other images can be seen in the folder at - .

The photomontage is of a specimen of a minor, appearing to match the Forel description of the lemma minor, from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006.

Other images can be seen in the folder at - .

The illustrations of minor faces (below left) are from Santschi (1935), who recorded osiris from Congo da Lemba, by R. Mayné, i.1913, and Mongende, by Dr Schouteden, 19.iv.1921. Santschi noted that it differed from olivieri by the minor having slightly larger eyes, and the head narrower. The erect hairs on the gaster were shorter and less abundant; and the pubescence variably yellow and white.

Emery (1895h) separated tenuipilis as having finer erect hairs on the gaster, plus whiter pubescence. Forel's (1911f) description of osiris (as a subspecies of Camponotus carbo) was minor and media, TL 4.2-6.5 mm; overall similar to ssp puberulus [later raised to species by Santschi, 1915c] but the gaster is shiny and feebly shagreened. The pubescence is paler and yellowish. He regarded it as a simple variety but noted typical carbo and ssp puberulus are profoundly matte, and the shiny gaster of osiris was very contrasting. Specimens from Zaïre, Congo da Lemba by Mayné.

Forel (1909b) described delagoensis var sorpta -
TL 5-9 mm; less robust than delagoensis, sides of head less convex; propodeum dorsum shorter and more convex, shorter than declivity. Petiole scale as biconvex, but less slim and with a sharper dorsal border. Otherwise the same form. More matte, sculpturation deeper, reticulate or shagreened; gaster less shiny. Fossae on head identical, as strong and as abundant. Pilosity longer, whiter, more setiform and more like olivieri. Greyish pubescence abundant as the delagoense type and even more than olivieri; forming a thin but very clear grey blanket, over all the thorax and gaster. Colour as typical delagoense. Overall differs from olivieri by being longer and with the head more enlarged behind and narrowed anteriorly; and a more depressed pronotum.
Forel also described the female and male. Specimens from the stomach of a Pangolin in Bas Congo, collected by Solon.

My translation of pax is -
TL 4.5-6.5 mm; Largest morphs with scapes surpassing occiput by one-fifth their length. Thorax slightly convex. Propodeum with well-defined angle; dorsum as in type, quite slim, and as long as the declivity. Colour black, lower legs and antennae brown. Pubescence fairly long, fine and white as in type; in minors pubescence on genae and clypeus longer than type. Head and thorax very matt, except for the genae of the largest morphs. Gaster strongly reticulate and slightly less shiny than type. In minor the head somewhat narrowed anteriorly, sides rectilinear; pronotum very depressed and bordered in front, as in type. Specimens from Cameroun, by Mayr (Emery label).

In Ghana, reported from CRIG by Adjei (1975), who noted also that it is a mealybug tender. Seventeen workers were collected by pkd from the canopy of Amelonado cocoa at CRIG by Bigger (1981a).

Collated photomontage is of a cotype of Camponotus olivieri ssp sorptus (Forel, 1909b: 62, and Santschi, 1915c: 270, soldier, worker & queen) from Zaïre. The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.

Collated illustration (right) is of a cotype of Camponotus olivieri ssp freyeri - specimen from Aldabra Is., Seychelles . The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.
NOTE - in Bolton (1995: 100) as freyeri from (wrongly) Madagascar (as Camponotus foraminosus ssp aldabrensis var freyeri Forel, 1912k: 166, worker; designated C. olivieri st freyeri by Santschi, 1915c: 270, worker); aldabrensis (Forel, 1897c: 203) itself now is a subspecies of foraminosus. Forel's (1912k) description compared it with the type foraminosus ssp aldabrensis.
It seems possible that this is a distinct species, more closely related in form to foraminosus than to olivieri and the present status is due to an error of judgement by Santschi (1915c) in compiling his key. The head shape and flat eyes set further forward and within the lateral borders of the face are notably different from the other olivieri forms.