Camponotus (Myrmosericus) vestitus (F. Smith)
Type location South Africa (Formica vestita, F.
Smith, 1858b: 32, queen; Arnold, 1924: 694, soldier & queen);
subspecies anthracinus (Santschi, 1930a: 74, soldier &
worker), bombycinus (Santschi, 1930b: 77. worker), intuens
(as Camponotus rufoglaucus ssp cinctellus var
intuens, Forel, 1909b: 67; Santschi, 1926b: 258, worker)
and pectitus (Santschi, 1911g: 212, unavailable name;
Santschi, 1930a: 74, soldier, worker & queen) from Angola,
comptus (Santschi, 1926b: 259, queen; 1930a: 76, male)
from Ivory Coast, lujai (Santschi, 1930a: 75,
soldier & male) from Zaïre, perpectitus
(Santschi, 1926b: 259, queen) from Benin, and strophiatus
(Santschi, 1926b: 259, worker) from South Africa; soldier,
worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995)
 .
F Smith's (1858b) description is at
 .
Arnold (1924: 694) provided an expanded description; this is at -
 .
Santschi's (1911gb) description of pectita is at
 .
Santschi's (1926b) descriptions of comptus, perpectitus
and strophiatus are at
 .
Santschi's (1930a) description of lujai and a note on vestitus
are at
 ,
and his (1930a) description of pectitus and anthracinus
are at
 .
Santschi's (1930b) description of bombycinus is at
 .
Forel's (1909b) description of intuens (comparison with
rufoglaucus ssp cinctellus; the latter now being
as species in its own right, type location Mozambique) was: TL
4.3-6; MAJOR - scape surpassing the occiput by no more than twice
its width. Head less enlarged behind. Yellow border to gastral
segments very narrow. Colour black; posterior of head, mandibles,
funiculi and legs reddish. Otherwise as cinctellus, of
which it is a small variety. Specimens from Benguela, Angola, by
Creighton Wellman.
Wheeler (1922) also listed it from Cameroun (at Mundame,
by Conradt) and Zaïre (several localities but all
specimens found in the stomachs of toads).
Bernard (1952) reported this species, so common in the plains of
French West Africa, was represented in the Mt. Nimba, Guinea,
collections only by several workers from Kéoulenta and
N'Zo.
Lévieux (1983a), noted its presence in Ivory Coast
savannah, at Ferkéssédougo, where it was preyed on
by Myrmicaria opaciventris (as nitidans).
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The
photomontage is of a minor specimen from Dakar, Senegal,
14°44'48"N 17°31'35"E, elev 9 m; 19.ix.2006;
collector David King; 3 workers.