Camponotites pictus

†Camponotites pictus Temporal range: Early Miocene K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl ↓ Shanwang, China
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Genus:	Camponotites
Species:	†C. pictus
Binomial name
†Camponotites pictus (Zhang, J., Sun & Zhang, X., 1994)

Boudinot et al. (2024) - These fossils could be considered unidentifiable to species, hence invalid, but are here treated as incertae sedis in Camponotus to highlight their existence. Critically, because of the lack of morphological information, it is possible that a number of these taxa belong to other genera of Camponotini (see Ward et al. (2016) and Ward & Boudinot (2021)). Reexamination of the original material is necessary in all cases (Boudinot et al. (2024), Note 11).

To prevent the uncritical usage of unidentifiable fossils attributed to Camponotus for macroevolutionary analysis, this species has been transferred to the form genus Camponotites. A form genus is a classificatory category used for fossils which are similar in appearance but cannot be reliably assigned to an established genus, in this case Camponotus. See Camponotites for further justification for this treatment. Until then, it is placed within Camponotites, noting that the taxa placed within this genus are unlikely to be closely related to each other.

Distribution

This taxon was described from Shanwang, China (Early Miocene).

Nomenclature

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

• †pictus. †Camponotus pictus Zhang, J., Sun & Zhang, 1994: 169, fig. 149 (q.) CHINA (Shandong, Miocene).
  • [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Camponotus ligniperdus var. pictus Forel, 1886f: 141.]
  • Combination in Camponotites: Boudinot et al., 2024: 145.

Taxonomic Notes

Boudinot et al. (2024), Note 14 - Although †Camponotus pictus is a junior primary homonym of Camponotus ligniperdus pictus, as we have transferred this species to the form taxon †Camponotites, a nomen novum is unnecessary.

References

• Boudinot, B.E., Bock, B.L., Weingardt, M., Tröger, D., Batelka, J., LI, D., Richter, A., Pohl, H., Moosdorf, O.T.D., Jandausch, K., Hammel, J.U., Beutel, R. G. 2024. Et latet et lucet: Discoveries from the Phyletisches Museum amber and copal collection in Jena, Germany. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 711, 111–176 (doi:10.3897/dez.71.112433).
• Perfilieva, K.S. 2022. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from localities of the Russian Far East (Amgu, Velikaya Kema). Paleontological Journal, 56(4), 412–425 (doi:10.1134/s0031030122040086).
• Zhang, J., Sun, B. ; Zhang, X. 1994. Miocene insects and spiders from Shanwang, Shandong. Beijing: Science Press, v + 298 pp.: 298pp (page 69, fig. 149 queen described)