Camponotus acutirostris

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Camponotus acutirostris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. acutirostris
Binomial name
Camponotus acutirostris
Wheeler, W.M., 1910

Camponotus acutirostris casent0103413 profile 1.jpg

Camponotus acutirostris casent0103413 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Synonyms

This species is rarely collected. It nests under stones, in areas of rocky gravel. Brood was found in nests in March. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Identification

The majors of this species are easily recognized as the clypeus is extended into a sharpened angle or beak-like protection (Fig. 348). The head is wide as seen from front. Major workers and females always have 10 or more erect hairs on the cheeks and malar area. The metanotal suture is well depressed, with the mesosoma in profile. The clypeus of the minor worker is similar, but not as elongate. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Tanaemyrmex

Distribution

USA: TX, AZ, NM. MEXICO: Chihuahua.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 40.2376° to 28.547261°.

   
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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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Habitat

In New Mexico: Pinyon-juniper forests, oak forests, with grassy areas between trees, pine forests, usually found in more mesic sites in semiarid areas with yucca and cactus, at between 1560 - 2300 meters elevation. (Mackay and Mackay (2002)

Biology

Castes

Worker

MCZ-ENT00021449 Camponotus acutirostris hef.jpgMCZ-ENT00021449 Camponotus acutirostris hal.jpgMCZ-ENT00021449 Camponotus acutirostris had.jpgMCZ-ENT00021449 Camponotus acutirostris lbs.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus acutirostris casent0103414 head 1.jpgCamponotus acutirostris casent0103414 label 1.jpg
Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0103414. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by LACM, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • acutirostris. Camponotus acutirostris Wheeler, W.M. 1910d: 317 (s.w.q.m.) U.S.A. (New Mexico).
    • Type-material: syntype major and minor workers (numbers not stated, “numerous”), 1 syntype queen, 1 syntype male.
    • Type-localities: U.S.A.: New Mexico, Sacramento Mts, Alamogordo (G. von Kockow) (invalid restriction of type-locality by Creighton, 1950a: 375; no lectotype designated), U.S.A.: New Mexico, Sacramento Mts, Box Canyon (A.G. Ruthven).
    • Type-depositories: AMNH, MCZC.
    • Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 266;
    • combination in C. (Camponotus): Emery, 1925b: 74;
    • combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Creighton, 1950a: 375.
    • Status as species: Forel, 1914a: 266; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 561; Emery, 1925b: 74; Creighton, 1950a: 375; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 839; Cole, 1954f: 272; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 143; Hunt & Snelling, 1975: 22; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1428; Bolton, 1995b: 84; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 287; Hansen & Klotz, 2005: 95.
    • Senior synonym of clarigaster: Creighton, 1950a: 375; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1428; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
    • Distribution: U.S.A.
  • clarigaster. Camponotus acutirostris var. clarigaster Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 420 (s.) U.S.A. (Arizona).
    • Type-material: holotype major worker.
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Arizona, Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Trail, ca 3000 ft (W.M. Wheeler).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Subspecies of acutirostris: Cole, 1937b: 139; Emery, 1925b: 74; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 839.
    • Junior synonym of acutirostris: Creighton, 1950a: 375; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1428; Bolton, 1995b: 92.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Major Length. 12-13 mm.; head. 3.5 x 3.3 mm.; scape, 3 mm.; hind tibia 3.9 mm.

With the stature of Camponotus vicinus, but with a proportionally smaller head, which has rounded, convex cheek; and posterior corners and broadly excised posterior border. Eyes feebly convex, rather large. Mandibles 6-toothed. Clypeus carinate, produced in front as a pointed angle, which is slightly turned up at the tip. Just behind this tip the carina is interrupted for a short distance by a feeble transverse impression. The anterolateral border of the clypeus is deeply sinuate on each side. Frontal area and groove distinct; frontal carinae feebly lyrate and more approximate than in vicinus and Camponotus vafer. Antennal scapes slender and terete at the base, neither flattened nor dilated, slightly enlarged at their distal ends. Thorax narrower than the head and shaped much as in vicinus, but the epinotum is more like that of vafer, having its basal surface about twice as long as the declivity. Petiole high and rather narrow, with both anterior and posterior surfaces convex, the former more than the latter; border sharp, feebly emarginate in the middle above. Gaster of the usual shape. Legs long; middle and hind tibiae sulcate on their anterior surfaces and rather triangular in cross section.

Head subopaque, densely shagreened; mandibles, cheeks, gula, sides, frontal area and anterior half of front rather smooth, shining. Mandibles finely and densely striate and coarsely punctate. Cheeks with numerous elongate foveolae; clypeus, front and vertex with large. more scattered and rounded foveolae. The punctures on the sides of the head very small and scattered. Thorax subopaque and shagreened like the head; petiole and gaster more finely shagreened, shining.

Hairs yellow, erect, rather short and sparse on the upper surface of the head, thorax and gaster and border of petiole, more numerous on the gula. Marginal hairs of clypeus rather long and prominent. Cheeks with a few short, erect hairs. Femora with a row of long, sparse hairs on their flexor surfaces; tibiae without hairs on their extensor surfaces, but with a row of stiff graduated bristles along the whole length of their flexor surface. Pubescence very short and dilute, discernible only with difficulty except on the scapes.

Head black; mandibles, clypeus and frontal area deep red; antennal scapes black, with yellow or red bases and tips; funiculi brown or yellow. Thorax and legs yellowish brown; pronotum and, to a less extent, the mesonotum sometimes blackish or dark brown; tibiae and tarsi light brown. Gaster brown, with yellow posterior borders to the segments; venter and base or whole of first segment yellow.

Minor Length, 7.5-9 mm.

Head longer than broad, with straight parallel sides, postocular portion prolonged and rounded, but distinctly narrowed at the occiput. Clypeus like that of the worker major, but the point in the middle of the anterior margin is more obtuse and less projecting. Antennae very slender. Thorax through the pronotum about as broad as the head. Epinotum low, with its base twice as long as the declivity into which it passes without a perceptible angle. Petiole thick and rather conical, with blunt, entire lateral and dorsal border.

Sculpture and pilosity much as in the worker major. Cheeks with a few scattered, erect hairs.

Dull yellow; mandibles and cheeks brown; sides and posterior portions of head darker; dorsal surface of gaster, with the exception of the posterior edges of the segments, light brown. Antennal scapes and tarsi brownish.

Queen

Length, 13 mm.

Resembling the worker major in sculpture, pilosity and color. Head narrower, with straighter, more nearly parallel sides. Epinotum with convex, rounded base, nearly as long as the declivity. Petiole broad and thick, compressed antero-posteriorly near the margin, which is sharp. Thorax smooth and shining, epinotum opaque and shagreened; scutellum, metanotum and pronotum, except for a large anteromedian blotch, dark brown or black. Wings long (15 mm.), scarcely tinged with yellow near the costal margin; veins brown, stigma blackish.

Male

Length, 10 mm.

Head very small, longer than broad, occipital border straight, not broader than the anterior border and equal to the surface on each side between the posterior orbit and the corresponding end of the occipital border. This surface is, not convex, but flat. Cheeks subparallel, straight, not concave. Clypeus with broadly rounded border and reflected edge. Mandibles indistinctly bidentate. Thorax through the insertions of the wings nearly twice as broad as the head, narrowed behind, with the epinotuin as long as broad, rounded and sloping in profile, without distinct basal and declivous surfaces. Petiole very low, thick and blunt, as long as high. Gaster, antennae and legs long and slender.

Mandibles and head subopaque, very finely shagreened; clypeus, cheeks and front with a few coarse punctures. Thorax shagreened like the head, subopaque in front; scutellum, epinotum and gaster smooth, shining, more finely and superficially shagreened.

Hairs pale, short, erect and sparse, most abundant on the gaster, absent on the scapes and tibiae, present in a single row on the flexor surfaces of the femora.

Black; mandibles, distal portion of antennal scapes, genitalia and tarsi brown; articulations of thorax, gaster and legs whitish. Wings whitish hyaline, with pale yellow veins and brownish stigma.

Type Material

Described from numerous workers, one. female and one male taken from a single colony living in the ground under a stone at Alamogordo in the foot-hills of the Sacramento Mts. of New Mexico (G. von Krockow), and several workers from Box Canyon in the same territory (A. G. Ruthven).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Cokendolpher J. C., and O. F. Francke. 1990. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas. Part II. Subfamilies Ecitoninae, Ponerinae, Pseudomyrmecinae, Dolichoderinae, and Formicinae. Special Publications, the Museum. Texas Tech University 30:1-76.
  • Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
  • O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
  • Wheeler W. M. 1910. The North American ants of the genus Camponotus Mayr. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 20: 295-354.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1917. The mountain ants of western North America. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 52: 457-569.
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.
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