Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) aegyptiacus Emery

Type locality Egypt (Camponotus maculatus aegyptiacus n. subsp., Emery, 1915f: 79, worker; Menozzi, 1932e: 453, queen & male; raised to species Baroni Urbani, 1972: 130); junior synonym infrasquameus (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus Fab. stirps infrasquameus n. stirps, Santschi, 1926b: 249, soldier, worker & queen) from Benin and material of unavailable names claveaui (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps aegyptiacus Em. var claveaui n. var., Santschi, 1926b: 250, worker) from Senegal; sudanicus (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps aegyptiacus var. sudanicus n. var., Santschi, 1926b: 250, soldier & worker) from Congo; and, hyskos (Camponotus (Myrmoturba) maculatus F. stirps aegyptiacus var hyskos nov., Santschi, 1938a: 41, worker) from Egypt; all forms described .

Egypt - in HNS as Camponotus maculatus subsp. aegyptiacus Emery. Donisthorpe (1942a) recorded many specimens from several locations.

Emery's (1915f) consideration of the maculatus-group and definition of aegyptiacus is at
Santschi's (1926b) description of sudanicus, from (French) Congo (Tilho Mission, Region de Zinder, Danagherim Sultanate, by Dr Gallard, 1910) is at ; his description of claveaui (from Dakar, Senegal, by Claveaui) is at ; and his description of infrasquameus (from Benin (Dahomey), at Kouandé, by Desanti) is at . Santschi's (1938a) description of hyskos is at .

Emery (1915f) laid stress on the type form of Camponotus maculatus (as described by Linnaeus from the Bank's Collection in London) having ferruginous femora and black lower legs, whereas the specimens from Egypt had completely pale legs. Collingwood (1985), recording aegyptiacus from Saudi Arabia, noted that in profile the dorsal outline of the alitrunk is more or less continuous; the gaster with a distinct pattern of 2 or 3 yellow blotches, which merge into each other laterally giving an irregular banded effect; gula hairs present but not numerous; smaller species, HW 3.5 mm or less. He added that it is a common north east African species; mainly active at night when foragers can be seen flitting very rapidly over the ground in search of food; the minor workers are very pale.

From Egypt, it was illustrated by Savigny (Audouin, J.-V. 1825-27: Plate 20 Fig 8).

Egypt records - Alfieri (1931: 48) listed 52 collections in the 1925 survey, in Cairo and its suburbs, from the Provinces of Charkieh, Fayoum, Assiout and Keneh; Santschi (1938a: 40) also listed numerous findings; Donisthorpe (1942a) listed numerous specimens from the Siwa Oasis area, all collected by J Omer-Cooper, June-July 1935; he later reported further specimens of all forms from Siwa, Siwa depression, Koreshid, Zeitoun and Abu Sharuf (Donisthorpe (1947e).

Sharaf list - Ghazal Island (Aswan), 2.v.2002 (18); Cairo, 15.vi.2003 (6); Saloga Island (Aswan), 2.v.2002 (2); Ismailia, 13.xii.1997 (1); Abuzabal (Qalyubiya),30.ix.2001 (1); Flosyiat, Zaranik (North Sinai), 11.viii.2000 (1) (SHC); Dakhla oasis, 6.ii.1953 (7) Leg.M.R.Sharaf; Pyramids (Giza), 20.ix.1952 (1); Pyramids (Giza), 19.i.1953 (4); Kharga Oasis, 10.ii.1953 (2); Barkash, 6.v.1952 (1); Khatatba, 7.viii.1953 (1); Benha (Qalyubiya), 1.viii.1953 (1) (ASUC); Marg (Cairo), 4.iv.1915 (1) (EESC); Giza, 5.i.1953 (12 ?); Giza, 6.i.1955 (4?); Giza, 29.xii.1952 (2); Giza, 29.xii.1953 (12); Abu-Rawash, 3.iv.1955 (6); Faiyum, 9.v.1953 (13); Faiyum, 15.iv.1953 (1); Helwan, 6.iv.1934, Farag (1); Giza, 5.iii.1953 (1); Giza, 13.ii.1955 (1) (CUC). Local distribution: Cairo, Marsa Matrouh, Pyramids, Dakhla oasis, Kharga oasis, Benha, Assiut, Luxor, Abu-Rawash, Safaga, Siwa, Tanta, El-Mahalla, Baharyia oasis, El-Simbillawein.

Mohamad thesis (1979) had - Cairo, 2.vi.1912; 14.v.1922; 22.vii.1929; 10.viii.1937; 4.v.1941; Shubra (Cairo), 30.i; 12.v.1918; Gezira (Cairo), 6.vi.1918; Egypt (Det.Crawley, 1927); Maadi (Cairo), 1.v.1927; Katta, 10.vii.1935 (Coll.Alf.). Zeitoun (Cairo), 11.v.1925; Egypt (Det.Crawley,1927) (Coll.Min.). Birqash, 11.v.1925; Marsa Matrouh, viii.1952; Pyramids (Giza), 20.ix.1952, 19.i.1953; El-Basateen (Cairo), 5.i.1953; Dakhla oasis (Western desert), 6.ii.1953; Kharga oasis (Western desert), 10.ii.1953; Benha (Qaliobyia), 1.viii.1953; El-Khatatba, 7.viii.1953; Asiut (Upper Egypt), 4.ii.1975; Luxor (Upper Egypt), 6-7.ii.1975; Cairo, 4.iii ,1.iv., 18.iv., 22.iv., 27.v.1975; Heliopolis (Cairo), 16.iii., 12.iv.,4.VII., 13.viii.1975; Abu-Rawash, 8.vi.1975; Kom Oshim (Fayium), 7.vii.1975; Alexandria, 5.viii.1975; Safaga (Red Sea), 20.xi.1975; Siwa oasis (Western desert), 9, 14.iv.1976; Pyramids (Giza), 18.v.1976; Tanta (Nile Delta), 7.xii.1977; El-Mahalla El-Kobra (Nile Delta), 8.xii.1977; Baharyia oasis (Western desert), 20.i.1978; Dakhla oasis (Western desert), 21.i.1978; Quiesna (Nile Delta), 22.i.1978; Kharga oasis (Western desert), 24.i.1978; El-Simbellawein (Dakahlyia), 24.i.1978; Benimazar (El-Menyia), 28.i.1978; Baharyia oasis (Western desert), 4-6.iii.1976 (Coll.Ain.).

The photomontage is of specimens collected in St Katharine's Protectorate, Sinai, by Mike James, 2002, and found under a rock by day. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of a queen from Egypt; collected at St Katherine's Protectorate, Sinai, 2010, by Olivia Norfolk. Other images can be seen in the folder at - .