Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus, F., subsp. evansi

Crawley, W. C., 1920, Ants from Mesopotamia and north-west Persia (concluded), Entomologists Record and Journal of Variation 32, pp. 177-179 : 2

Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus, F., subsp. evansi , subsp. nov.

☿ major ( ☿ media). L. 8.5-9.0mm. Width of head 2.8mm.

Castaneous ; scale darkest, head slightly darker than thorax, legs palest ; gaster shining black, borders of segments rimmed with castaneous yellow.

Whole insect robust, legs short. Head slightly broader than long, widest just behind the eyes, narrowing abruptly in front of eyes, which are well behind the middle of sides of head. Occipital border widely and shallowly emarginate. Mandibles 7 toothed. Clypeus carinate on its posterior two-thirds only, anterior border straight. Scapes extend just beyond occipital border. Eyes large, flat. Thorax in profile short, regularly arched as far as the meso-epinotal suture whence the base of epinotum slopes down in a more or less straight line to meet the declivity, making a very obtuse angle with the latter, which is quite straight and somewhat shorter than the base. Tibiæ somewhat flattened. Seale narrow at apex, convex anteriorly and straight behind. Gaster oval, hardly larger than the head.

Mandibles shining, with coarse punctures. Head dull, with a reticulate ground sculpture pitted with irregular somewhat elongate punctures, most abundant on the clypeus, cheeks, and between the frontal carinæ. Vertex and occiput with only scattered shallow punctures. Thorax with a finer reticulate ground sculpture, and more shining than the head ; scale, legs and scapes with a similar reticulate sculpture. Gaster shining, with a superficial transverse reticulation. Declivity of epinotum shining, microscopically transversely reticulate.

Head, thorax and gaster with rather long scattered yellowish hairs, whitish on gaster ; no pilosity on scapes or legs. Pubescence nil.

☿ minor.

Differs only in size, slightly smaller head proportionately, and greater length of scape.

In dead palm trunk, N.E. of Baghdad, 1919 (Evans).