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Camponotus versicolor
| Camponotus versicolor | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Species: | C. versicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus versicolor Clark, 1930
| |
Camponotus versicolor is an uncommon species which is limited to a narrow band across southern Western Australia. Essentially nothing is known concerning the biology of this species.
Identification
Tibiae and scapes lacking erect hairs. In minor workers, metanotal groove angular to slightly depressed below the anterior region of the propodeum; dorsal surface of petiolar node in minors relatively long and flat to weakly convex, its anterior face much shorter than the posterior face. Mesosoma black and with at least the first two gastral tergites red and distinctly lighter in colour than the propodeum, gastral tergites never with golden-yellow bands. It is most similar to Camponotus aurocinctus and can be separated from it by the darker body colour and red gastral tergites. Minor workers of C. aurocinctus also have larger numbers of erect hairs on the head and mesosoma compared to this species. The configuration of the metanotal groove combined with the distinctively coloured gaster will separate C. versicolor from close relatives.
Keys including this Species
- Key to Australian Camponotus majors of the southwestern Botanical Province
- Key to Australian Camponotus minors of the southwestern Botanical Province
- Key to Australian Camponotus species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -32.06666667° to -32.45611°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Syntype of Camponotus versicolor. Worker. Specimen code casent0903549. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMUK, London, UK. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- versicolor. Camponotus (Myrmosaulus) versicolor Clark, 1930a: 122 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Status as species: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 121; Taylor, 1987a: 15; Bolton, 1995b: 129; Shattuck & McArthur, 2002: 84 (redescription); McArthur, 2007a: 312; Heterick, 2009: 62; McArthur, 2014: 114.
Type Material
- Syntype, 3 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Australian Museum.
- Syntype, 3 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Reynolds,H., ANIC32-017681, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 6 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 3 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
- Syntype, 3 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Syntype, 5 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
- Syntype, 3 workers, Emu Rock, east of Ongerup, Western Australia, Australia, Western Australian Museum.
Description
Major worker
Dorsal surfaces of pronotum and mesonotum convex and separated by a shallow angle; propodeum uniformly convex without a distinct angle; petiolar node with parallel anterior and posterior faces, its upper surface slightly elongated flat to weakly convex. Erect hairs sparse on outline of head including underside, scattered on mesosoma, petiole, coxa and gaster, absent from tibiae and scapes. Anterior clypeal margin weakly convex. Body red-black, head and petiole slightly lighter than mesosoma; gaster with the first two tergites red, the remainder red-black.
Minor worker
Anterior clypeal margin convex. Dorsal surfaces of pronotum and mesonotum convex and separated by a shallow, broad angle; metanotal groove either a broad angle or a shallow trough; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum flat to weakly convex and separated by at most a gentle angle. Anterior face of petiolar node short and separated from the dorsal face by a distinct angle, dorsal face elongate and flat to weakly convex and separated from the posterior face by a broad, rounded angle, posterior face flat. Erect hairs abundant on outline and underside of head, mesosoma, petiole, coxa and gaster; erect hairs absent from scapes and tibiae. Body dark red-black or black with the head sometimes slightly lighter; gaster with at least the first two tergites red and the remainder dark red-black, or sometimes entirely red.
Measurements
Workers (n=7). Cl 0.82 (minors) — 1.06 (majors); HL 2.23mm — 3.20mm; HW 1.83mm — 3.42mm; ML 3.96mm — 4.86mm; MTL 2.72mm — 3.00mm; SI 1.45 (majors) — 1.60 (minors); SL 2.93mm — 4.95mm.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Worker major.-Length, 14.8-16 mm. Black. Cheeks, funiculus and first two segments of the gaster blood red. Terminal segments of the tarsi brown. Subopaque. Mandibles finely and densely striate. Head, thorax and gaster microscopically reticulate and finely punctate. Hair yellow, very sparse throughout, except on the clypeus and under side of the head, where they are rather long and abundant. Pubescence not apparent. Head almost one third broader than long, the occipital border concave, the sides strongly convex. Frontal carinae diverging slightly behind, with a sharp longitudinal groove between them, extending to, and including, the anterior ocellus. Clypeus broad and convex, without traces of a carina, the anterior border convex, hardly produced; there is a deep fovea on each side near the middle. Eyes circular; rather flat. The anterior ocellus only present. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by about twice their thickness; second and third segments of the funiculus of equal length, longer than the first. Mandibles large, armed with six large sharp teeth. Thorax barely twice as long as broad. Pronotum four times broader than long, strongly convex in front and on the sides. Mesonotum circular, the dorsum convex in front, flattened behind, with indications of a longitudinal groove in front. A deep, but not wide, constriction between the mesonotum and epinotum, the latter longer than broad; in profile convex from the anterior border to the bottom of the declivity, without traces of a boundary between them. Node twice as broad as long, all four sides and the dorsum convex; in profile one third higher than long, the dorsum convex. Gaster one fourth longer than broad. Legs long and robust.
Worker minor.-Length, 8.5-10 mm. Color and sculpture as in the major. Pubescence much more abundant, very fine and adpressed. Head longer than broad, the occipital border strongly convex, the sides straight, parallel. Clypeus distinctly carinate. Scapes passing the occipital border by more than half their length. Eyes large and convex. Mandibles with eight to nine large sharp teeth. Thorax similar but much more slender. Node one fourth longer than broad, the anterior and posterior faces straight, the sides convex; in profile as high as long, the anterior face straight, vertical, the dorsum straight, flat, the posterior face convex, rounded into the dorsum. Legs long and slender. The rest as in the major.
Habitat.-Western Australia: Emu Rocks (H.Reynolds).
This very distinct species is not near any other known to me. A large series of both forms was collected by Mr Reynolds at Emu Rocks, on the Rabbit-proof Fence, East of Ongerup.
References
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 129, catalogue)
- Clark, J. 1930a. Some new Australian Formicidae. Proc. R. Soc. Vic. (n.s.) 42: 116-128 (page 122, soldier, worker described)
- Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
- Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
- Shattuck, S. O.; McArthur, A. J. 2002. A taxonomic revision of the Camponotus wiederkehri and perjurus species-groups (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 126: 63-90 (page 84, figs. 49-54 major, minor worker described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.