Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) pompeius Forel

Type location Gabon (Forel, 1886f: 157, soldier & worker; Emery, 1899e: 501, queen; Menozzi, 1933a: 110, male) collected by Büttner; subspecies cassius (Wheeler, 1922: 239, illustrated, soldier & worker) from Zaïre, iota (Santschi, 1926b: 257, worker) from Congo, and marius (Emery, 1899e: 502, illustrated, worker) from Cameroun, collected by Conradt and Sjöstedt; all forms known (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1886) description is at with a further description by Emery (1899e) at , with an illustrated description of marius by Emery (1899e) at , and notes on varieties by Santschi (1926b) at . Menozzi's (1933a) description of the male is at .

Wheeler (1922) listed records from Togo (at Bismarckburg, by Conradt), Cameroun (Duala by von Rothkirch, Campo Mountains by Schultze, Molundu and Yukaduma by Schultze); and various Congo areas.

On cassius, which he described as a new subspecies and provided the illustration (left), Wheeler wrote-
WORKER MAXIMA - Differing from the maxima of the typical pompeius in having the head distinctly smoother, more shining, and more superficially shagreened, the apical tooth of the mandibles much longer, the corners of the clypeal lobe much more acute, the superior border of the petiole somewhat more obtuse, the petiole and thorax brownish red, except the pronotum and dorsum of the mesonotum, which are dark brown. The thorax and coxae are covered with much longer, denser, and more conspicuous yellowish pubescence than in typical pompeius.
WORKER MINIMA - Very similar to the typical form but the thorax and legs paler, and the head and thorax with longer pubescence.
Described from a single maxima and seven minimae from Yakuluku, Zaïre (Lang and Chapin). Four males from Medje and Faradje and three females from Stanleyville are probably referable to this or to one of the other forms of pompeius. They have the propodeum and legs more reddish than in the typical form. The wings of both females and males are slightly yellowish, with resin-colored veins and dark brown pterostigma.

The photomontage is of a major specimen from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of a minor specimen from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of specimens collected in Cameroun - 30 km east of Poli at a Sudan-Guinea savannah location (McKey Wolbachia project) - Cameroon 130, 15 June 2001. All the specimens have a distinct pattern of light lateral areas on the gaster. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

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

Wheeler noted of the subspecies marius Emery -
Specimens from Medje, Akenge and Niapu (Lang and Chapin). Two maxima and twenty-nine minima workers all from the stomachs of toads (Bufo polycercus, funereus, and superciliaris) and one small worker from Niapu from the stomach of a frog (Xenopus tropicalis) seem to belong to this form. Though from different localities, the two maximae both have the head much smaller and narrower (without the mandibles, 4.5 X 3.9 mm) than in the typical pompeius or the preceding subspecies and agree very closely with Emery's description. He believed that the specimen he examined was not a maxima, but the two specimens from Medje and Akenge seem to indicate that the small narrow head may be characteristic of the largest worker of the subspecies. The petiolar scale in my specimens is also high and pointed, precisely as in Emery's figure, the scapes are long (4.5 mm.), and the coloration and sculpture agree with his description.

Bernard (1952) reported (a large species) 5 workers and an enormous queen from Guinea, Mt. Nimba survey at Mount Tô, 1600 m.

Recorded as Camponotus probably marius Emery, from Ghana; collected from open ground at the Mampong Cemetery Farm by Room (1971).