Camponotus irritans

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus irritans
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. irritans
Binomial name
Camponotus irritans
(Smith, F., 1857)

Camponotus irritans casent0901899 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus irritans casent0901899 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Subspecies
Synonyms

Identification

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 13.72333333° to -20.992°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia (type locality), Singapore.
Oriental Region: India, Nicobar Island, Sri Lanka, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
pChart

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
pChart

Biology

Sharma (1979) - A fairly common ant in the Indian desert. It is extraordinarily tolerant of heat. The following is from field observations (March 1978 to October 1979) in the Indian desert.

Camponatus impressus nests are commonly found on calcareous soils in sandy biotopes and also in stony and rocky areas. Workers were observed dropping excavated soil, in the form of wet pellets, outside the nest entrance. During rain-storms the mouth of the nest is plugged. If the water level rises to the mouth of the nest another opening is made at a higher-level nearby. Colonies may also move to a nearby higher area. Colonies are usually solitary but at favorable sites three or more nests colonies were observed three meters apart. The opening of the nests measured about 0.5 cm x 4.0 cm. Eggs and larvae were observed pre-monsoon season. i.e. late June.

This ant is an active predator. Camponotus compressus is its most common prey, followed by termites, small beetles (mostly Protaetia cuprea), caterpillars, and larvae of various insects. All foraging is done by single workers. A forager will quickly attack any prey it encounters and tries to drag it back to their nest. A worker can capture insects up to five times its size. If a forager finds an injured C. impressus worker they will also bring it back to the nest.

Camponatus impressus begin foraging after sunrise and become more active as the temperature rises. They tolerate up to 50 C. Most desert animals take shelter when the temperature rises above 35°C and solar radiation is above 40 cal/cm2 hr. Workers do not forage when solar radiation is below 30 cal/cm2 hr. During the winter, foragers are active during mid-day when temperature rises above 28°C or solar radiation above 40 cal/cm2 hr.

Babblers (Turdoides caudatus and T. striatus), crows (Corvus splendens and C. macrorhynchos), Calotes versicolor and Varanus spp. etc. were observed preying on the carpenter ant.

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • irritans. Formica irritans Smith, F. 1857a: 55 (w.) WEST MALAYSIA, BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sarawak).
    • [Note: this species is described a second time on p. 58 of same publication.]
    • Forel, 1913k: 125 (q.); Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 253 (q.m.).
    • Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 3;
    • combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1913k: 125;
    • combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 93.
    • Subspecies of maculatus: Forel, 1892j: 242; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Mayr, 1897: 432; Forel, 1901b: 27; Dahl, 1901: 17 (in key); Forel, 1909d: 229; Forel, 1911a: 48; Forel, 1911b: 210; Forel, 1912a: 75; Forel, 1912n: 62; Forel, 1913k: 125; Forel, 1915a: 37; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 108; Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 253; Teranishi, 1940: 60 (first entry).
    • Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 22; Mayr, 1863: 416; Roger, 1863b: 3; Smith, F. 1871a: 304; Mayr, 1879: 646; Forel, 1885b: 176; Emery, 1887a: 217; Dalla Torre, 1893: 236; Emery, 1893e: 196; Bingham, 1903: 353; Forel, 1905c: 26; Wheeler, W.M. 1909d: 337; Yano, 1910: 422; Emery, 1920b: 255; Emery, 1920c: 7, 12 (in key); Santschi, 1924c: 114; Emery, 1925b: 93; Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 57; Karavaiev, 1929c: 236; Stärcke, 1930: 376; Donisthorpe, 1932c: 444; Karavaiev, 1933a: 316; Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 39; Wheeler, W.M. 1937a: 24; Teranishi, 1940: 60 (second entry); Chapman & Capco, 1951: 246; Bolton, 1995b: 105; Lin & Wu, 2003: 61; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73; Terayama, 2009: 216; Mohanraj, et al. 2010: 6; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 37; Ran & Zhou, 2011: 68; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 28; McArthur, 2012: 209; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 24.
    • Senior synonym of agnatus: Bingham, 1903: 353; Emery, 1925b: 93; Bolton, 1995b: 105; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73.
    • [Note: Smith, F. 1857a: 58, and Donisthorpe, 1932c: 444, suggest that irritans may be the worker of diligens.]
    • Current subspecies: nominal plus carensis, carinifer, cliens, croceomaculatus, curtus, fatuus, hongkongensis, inferior, melanogaster, pallidus, procax, sumatranus, tinctus.
  • agnatus. Camponotus agnatus Roger, 1863a: 137 (s.w.) SRI LANKA.
    • Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 266.
    • Junior synonym of mitis: Forel, 1892j: 242.
    • Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 3; Mayr, 1863: 458; Smith, F. 1871a: 306; Dalla Torre, 1893: 221; Emery, 1896d: 371 (in list); Forel, 1914a: 266; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 253 (error).
    • Junior synonym of irritans: Bingham, 1903: 353; Emery, 1925b: 93; Bolton, 1995b: 84; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73.

The following notes on F. Smith type specimens have been provided by Barry Bolton (details):

Formica irritans

Three worker syntypes in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. One labelled “MAL 19.”, the other two “34 MALAC.” (both localities = West Malaysia). In addition there is a single worker labelled “SAR. 1” which is probably the one mentioned from “Borneo (Sarawak) in the original description. I have placed this specimen with the syntypes.

Smith described this species twice in the same publication (pp. 55 and 58), based on the same specimens.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Baidya P. 2015. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) diversity of Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, Goa. Goa Forest Department Report. 14 pages.
  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Dahl F. 1901. Das Leben der Ameisen im Bismarck-Archipel, nach eigenen Beobachtungen vergleichend dargestellt. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 1-70.
  • Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
  • Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
  • Dias R. K. S. 2013. Diversity and importance of soil-dweeling ants. Proceedings of the National Symposium on Soil Biodiversity, chapt 4, pp 19-22.
  • Dias R. K. S., H. P. G. R. C. Ruchirani, K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2013. Frequency of nest occurrence and nest density of Aneuretus simoni Emery (Sri Lankan Relict Ant) and other ant fauna in an abandoned rubber plantation (Kirikanda Forest) in southwest Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 5: 59-67.
  • Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
  • Dias R. K. S., and K. R. K. Anuradha Kosgamage. 2012. Occurrence and species diversity of ground-dwelling worker ants (Family: Formicidae) in selected lands in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 7: 55-72.
  • Dias R. K. S., and R. P. K. C. Rajapaksa. 2016. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: a review. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 11(2): 23-45.
  • Dias R. K. S., and W. S. Udayakantha. 2016. Discovery of the Sri Lankan Relict Ant, Aneuretus simoni Emery (Formicidae, Aneuretinae) and the nest density of the species in a selected region of Meethirigala Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 8: 1-8. DOI: 10.20362/am.008005
  • Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
  • Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia. [part]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 24(4): 209-258.
  • Emery C. 1893. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1: 187-229.
  • Emery, C.. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 4, no. 24 (1887): 209-258.
  • Emery, C.. "Voyage de MM. Bedot et Pictet dans l'Archipel Malais. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1 (1893): 187-229.
  • Forel A. 1885. Indian ants of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal Part II Nat. Sci. 54: 176-182.
  • Forel A. 1885. Indian ants of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Part II. Natural Science 54: 176-182.
  • Forel A. 1892. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part I. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 7: 219-245.
  • Forel A. 1901. Formiciden aus dem Bismarck-Archipel, auf Grundlage des von Prof. Dr. F. Dahl gesammelten Materials. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 4-37.
  • Forel A. 1905. Ameisen aus Java. Gesammelt von Prof. Karl Kraepelin 1904. Mitt. Naturhist. Mus. Hambg. 22: 1-26.
  • Forel A. 1909. Ameisen aus Java und Krakatau beobachtet und gesammelt von Herrn Edward Jacobson. Notes Leyden Mus. 31: 221-232.
  • Forel A. 1911. Ameisen aus Java beobachtet und gesammelt von Herrn Edward Jacobson. II. Theil. Notes Leyden Mus. 33: 193-218.
  • Forel A. 1912. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute. Formicidae (Hym.) (Schluss). Entomol. Mitt. 1: 45-61.
  • Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.
  • Forel A. 1915. Fauna Simalurensis. Hymenoptera Aculeata, Fam. Formicidae. Tijdschr. Entomol. 58: 22-43.
  • Ghosh S. N., S. Sheela, B. G. Kundu, S. Roychowdhury, and R. N. Tiwari. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 369-398 in: Alfred, J. R. B. (ed.) 2006. Fauna of Arunachal Pradesh. (Part -2). [State Fauna Series 13.]. New Delhi: Zoological Survey of India, iv + 518 pp.
  • Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
  • Helms J. A., S. M. Helms, N. I. Fawzi, Tarjudin, F. Xaverius. 2017. Ant community of an Acacia mangium forest in Indonesian Borneo. Serangga 22(1): 147-159.
  • Hua Li-zhong. 2006. List of Chinese insects Vol. IV. Pages 262-273. Sun Yat-sen university Press, Guangzhou. 539 pages.
  • Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
  • Mohanraj P., M. Ali, and K. Veerakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10: Article 172
  • Mohanraj, P., M. Ali and K. Veenakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay Of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10:172.
  • Musthak Ali T. M. 1992. Ant Fauna of Karnataka-2. Newsletter of IUSSI Indian Chapter 6(1-2): 1-9.
  • Narendra A., H. Gibb, and T. M. Ali. 2011. Structure of ant assemblages in Western Ghats, India: role of habitat, disturbance and introduced species. Insect Conservation and diversity 4(2): 132-141.
  • Parui A. K., S. Chatterjee, and P. Basu. 2015. Habitat characteristics shaping ant species assemblages in a mixed deciduous forest in Eastern India. Journal of Tropical Ecology: 1-14. doi:10.1017/S0266467415000036
  • Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
  • Presty J., and K. A. Karmaly. 2016. A study on the diversity and distribution of genus Camponotus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Kerala: ecologically significant agents in ecosystems functioning. In: Chakravarhty A. K, and S. Sridhara (eds), Arthropod diversity and conservation in the tropics and sub-tropics. Springer edition. Pages 255-270.
  • Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.
  • Ramachandra T. V., M. D. Subash Chandran, N. V. Joshi, A. Narendra, and T. M. Ali. 2012. Ant species composition and diversity in the Sharavathi Rivers basin, central Western Ghats. Sahyadri Conservation Series 3, ENVIS Technical Report 20. 51 pages.
  • Ran H., and S. Y. Zhou. 2011. Checklist of Chinese Ants: the Formicomorph Subfamilies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (I). Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition. 29(3): 65-73.
  • Sabu T. K., P. J. Vineesh, and K. V. Vinod. 2008. Diversity of forest litter-inhabiting ants along elevations in the Wayanad region of the Western Ghats. Journal of Insect Science 8: 69.
  • Smith, F.. "Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects collected at Sarawak, Borneo; Mount Ophir, Malacca; and at Singapore, by A. R. Wallace." Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 2 (1857): 42-88.
  • Tak N. 1995. Studies on ants (Formicidae) of Rajasthan - 1 Jodhpur. Hexapoda 7(1): 17-28.
  • Tak N. 2008. Ants of Rajasthan. Conserving Biodiversity of Rajasthan Zool. Surv. India. 149-155.
  • Tak N. 2009. Ants Formicidae of Rajasthan. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 288, iv, 46 p
  • Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 1996. Ant (Formicidae) fauna of the Thar Desert. Pp. 271-276 in: Ghosh, A. K.; Baqri, Q. H.; Prakash, I. (eds.) 1996. Faunal diversity in the Thar Desert: gaps in research. Jodhpur: Scientific Publishers, xi + 410 pp.
  • Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 2004. Insecta: Hymenoptera. Rathore, N.S. Fauna of Desert National Park Rajasthan (proposed biosphere reserve). Conservation Area Series 19,Zool. Surv. India. 1-135. Chapter pagination: 81-84.
  • Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 2004. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. State Fauna Series 8: Fauna of Gujarat. Zool. Surv. India. Pp. 161-183.
  • Tak, N. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and Gujarat. in C. Sivaperuman et al. (eds.), Faunal Ecology and Conservation of the Great Indian Desert
  • Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
  • Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
  • Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
  • Tiwari R.N., B.G. Kundu, S. Roychowdhury, S.N. Ghosh. 1999. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 211-294 in: Director; Zoological Survey of India (ed.) 1999. Fauna of West Bengal. Part 8. Insecta (Trichoptera, Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera and Anoplura). Calcutta: Zoological Survey of India, iv + 442 pp.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1909. Ants of Formosa and the Philippines. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 26: 333-345.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1929. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 24: 27-64.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1937. Additions to the ant-fauna of Krakatau and Verlaten Island. Treubia 16: 21-24.
  • Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
  • Wheeler, William Morton. 1924. Ants of Krakatau and Other Islands in the Sunda Strait. Treubia. 5(1-3):1-20.
  • Wheeler, William Morton. 1927. The Ants of Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 62(4): 121-153
  • Wheeler, William Morton.1935.Checklist of the Ants of Oceania.Occasional Papers 11(11): 3-56
  • Yamane S.; Nona, A. R. 1994. Ants from Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak. Pp. 222-226 in: Inoue, T.; Hamid, A. A. (eds.) 1994. Plant reproductive systems and animal seasonal dynamics. Long-term study of dipterocarp forests in Sarawak. Kyoto: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, vii + 255 pp. 
  • Yamane Sk. 2005. Krakatau in 1982, and the commencement of myrmecological research. The nature and Insects (Konchu to shizen) 40: 27-33.