Camponotus (Myrmotrema) perrisii Forel

Type location Angola (Camponotus foraminosus r. C. Perrisii n. st., Forel 1886f: 177, soldier, worker & queen); subspecies densipunctatus from Zaïre (Stitz, 1916: 399, soldier, worker & male) collected at Duma, by Schubotz; insularis (Stitz, 1916: 399, illustrated, all forms; with junior synonym annobonensis, Santschi, 1915c: 277; synonymy by Santschi, 1920i: 4, worker) from Annobon Is., jucundus (Santschi, 1911g: 216, soldier & worker; Wheeler, 1922: 251, queen) from Congo, collected at Brazzaville, by A. Weiss; and nigeriensis Santschi, 1914d: 383, worker; 1915c: 277, all forms) from Nigeria, collected at Ibadan, by F. Silvestri, in 1913; unavailable name grandior (as variety, in Forel, 1913b: 324, soldier & worker) from Zaïre, collected at Welgelegen, by J. Bequaert; all forms known (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1886f) description is at . Santschi's (1911g) description of jucundus is at . Forel's (1913b) description of grandior is at .

If correct, the Key in Santschi (1915c) suggests that insularis is a subspecies of Camponotus foraminosus and not of perrisii. In the text also, Santschi noted that "Camponotus (Myrmotrema) foraminosus For. stirps chrysogaster Em. var. annobonensis, n. var." WORKER differs from the continental type by the propodeum having a very rounded angle and the pubescence of the gaster forming a denser blanket of an old gold colour. Specimen from Annobon I., by Dr. Reichensperger, 2 workers.

Santschi's Key (1915c) separated the species by its having prismatic tibiae and scapes which are flattened but only moderately expanded from base to apex; a rectangular clypeus; and, whitish erect hairs. He separated the type and occidentalis on the latter having more distinct pubescence. NOTE - I suspect that couplet 42 in Santschi's key is, at least, unsatisfactory or, at worst, had the onward numbers transposed - as Wheeler's picture (above right) shows a very distinct trapezoidal clypeus. In the text, however, Santschi (1915c) gave added notes on nigeriensis (from Santschi, 1914d, where it was described as a stirps of bayeri, the description is at ) - "Emery, who has seen the major of the Silvestri types, has written to me that the clypeus is not trapezoidal". Santschi continued - "I have before me a series of ants from Congo (Dr. Gérard) which I think are nigeriensis (the minors differ by the pubescence being a little whiter). MAJOR - TL 12 mm; Colour matt black; front and sides of head, scapes and lower legs shiny. Sculpture as perrisi. Gaster with more apparent pubescence than the type from Angola; longer and white but not hiding the sculpture; erect pilosity finer and longer, white on the body, yellow around the mouth. Scapes more compressed and surpassing the occiput by more than their width. Propodeum very rounded. Minor with legs more strongly channeled then type. FEMALE - TL 13 mm; head longer and scapes shorter than type; wings smoky brown, veins dark brown, forewing 13-14 mm. MALE - TL 8 mm, forewing 7.5 mm. Specimens from Zaïre, Great Lakes Region, Kitempica, Kataki, by Dr. Gérard".

Stitz's (1916) descriptions of densipunctatus and insularis are at .

Wheeler (1922) also listed the Nigeria finding at Lagos by F. Silvestri. Of the subspecies jucundus, he wrote-
[Found at] Kwamouth, Niangara, Faradje and Garamba, Zaïre (Lang and Chapin). Many specimens, some of which were identified by Prof. Emery as belonging to this subspecies. Those from Kwamouth were found with their pupae nesting in the galleries of a large, conical termitarium; those from Faradje were taken in small mushroom-shaped termitaria. Those from Niangara, however, were nesting "in the hollow of a tree.".
The female of this subspecies measures 11 to 11.5 mm (wings 12.5 mm) and resembles the major worker very closely in sculpture, pilosity, and color, except that the erect whitish hairs are shorter and less numerous on the upper surface of the head and thorax. The antennal scapes are not so pale at their base. The wings are suffused with brown and have dark brown veins and pterostigma. The male measures 7 to 8 mm, is black throughout, with wings colored like those of the female, but paler. The scapes and hind tibiae are distinctly flattened, though much less so than in the worker and female, and the upper border of the petiole is straight and transverse, with a small elevation or tooth on each corner. The body is rather shining; the thorax without erect hairs above.

Bernard (1952) reported the Mt. Nimba, Guinea, findings of this species, ssp jucundus, from several nests at Nion, Thio, T31 and T 40 Zouépo, T 89 Gouéla and, Nimba north-east forest. The subspecies he described as the northern race (Senegal, Guinea, Kenya) of a species common to Congo; the type was found in a termite nest.