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Camponotus aurosus
| Camponotus aurosus | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Myrmosaga |
| Species: | C. aurosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus aurosus Roger, 1863
| |
The distribution of C. aurosus is restricted to Mauritius and Reunion islands. In these islands, this species occupies primary and disturbed rainforest habitats, where workers have been found foraging on the ground and on lower vegetation and nest sites have been located in rotten logs, in the ground, under stones, in termite nests and in tree trunks.
Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - In full-face view, lateral margin of head anterior to eye level diverging posteriorly and covered with erect hairs; anterior clypeal margin broadly triangular or convex; mesosoma in profile short and high; gastral tergites covered with abundant pubescence; head and gaster black, mesosoma reddish orange to brown.
Camponotus aurosus is similar to Camponotus hagensii with respect to the shape of the head and the presence of erect hairs on the lateral cephalic margin, but the latter is characterized by the straight anteromedian margin of its clypeus, low and long mesosoma, and the presence of some pubescence on the gastral tergites.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -20.03333333° to -20.45463°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mauritius (type locality), Réunion.
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
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0056473. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0064815. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Lectotype of Camponotus aurosus. Worker. Specimen code casent0104620. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ZMHB, Berlin, Germany. |
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0104992. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0109866. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0135247. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0135246. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- aurosus. Camponotus aurosus Roger, 1863a: 134 (w.) MAURITIUS.
- Type-material: lectotype minor worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 50), paralectotype minor workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: Mauritius: (no further data).
- Type-depository: MNHU.
- Combination in C. (Myrmepomis): Emery, 1920b: 258;
- combination in C. (Myrmosericus): Forel, 1914a: 268;
- combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 50.
- Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 2; Mayr, 1863: 458; Smith, F. 1871a: 306; Forel, 1891b: 36 (redescription); Dalla Torre, 1893: 222; Emery, 1896d: 372 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1044; Emery, 1925b: 105; Donisthorpe, 1946e: 34; Donisthorpe, 1949e: 275; Bolton, 1995b: 87; Blard, et al. 2003: 129; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 50 (redescription).
- Distribution: Mauritius, Réunion.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022):
Morphological measurements: see Appendix 1 and Ratios of morphometric data for majors and minors
Minor In full-face view, lateral cephalic margins diverging posteriorly, widest at eye level, rounding evenly to posterior margin; eye protruding and large (EL/CS: 0.27±0.01; 0.25–0.29), breaking lateral margin of head, its posterior margin located at ca. posterior 1/4 of head (PoOc/CL: 0.24±0.01; 0.22–0.26); frontal carinae widely opened posteriorly (FR/CS: 0.30±0.01; 0.29–0.32), posteriorly diverging; clypeus without well-defined anterolateral angle, its anteromedian margin broadly convex or triangular; mandible with six teeth, the two apical teeth distant from each other; antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.33±0.04; 1.27–1.40). Dorsal outline of mesosoma strongly arched, metanotal groove weakly visible; propodeal dorsum almost straight, joining the declivity at a blunt angle; propodeal declivity 3/4 length of the dorsum; petiolar node short, high, and tapering dorsally, its dorsal margin inclined posteriorly and forming a blunt angle with anterior face; anterior face of petiolar node 1/2 height of posterior face; tibia of hind leg rounded axially, without basal twist.
First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; lateral margin of head anterior to level of eyes with a few erect hairs, which are absent behind level of eyes; antennal scape without erect hairs but covered with appressed hairs; pronotum with a pair of erect hairs; posterior cephalic margin with three or more pairs of erect hairs; posterodorsal angle of propodeum with two pairs of erect hairs.
Major Differing from minor worker in the following characters: larger head (CS: 2.24±0.11; 2.15–2.37; CWb/CL: 0.92±0.03; 0.87–0.95), with broadly slight medial concavity on posterior margin; apical 1/3 of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; with mesosoma in lateral view, length of propodeal dorsum the same as height of propodeal declivity; petiolar node more compressed anteroposteriorly.
Type Material
Syntype workers, Mauritius (Roger) (ZMHB); one syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0104620 (ZMHB) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
References
- Blard, F., Dorow, W.-H.-O., Delabie, J. H. C. 2003. Les Fourmis de l’île de la Réunion (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bulletin de La Société Entomologique de France, 108(2), 127–137 (doi:10.3406/bsef.2003.16939).
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 87, catalogue)
- Emery, C. 1920b. Le genre Camponotus Mayr. Nouvel essai de la subdivision en sous-genres. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 8: 229-260 (page 258, combination in C. (Myrmepomis))
- Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 268, combination in C. (Myrmosericus))
- Rakotonirina, J.C., Fisher, B.L. 2022. Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology. ZooKeys 1098: 1–180 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1098.73223).
- Roger, J. 1863a. Die neu aufgeführten Gattungen und Arten meines Formiciden-Verzeichnisses nebst Ergänzung einiger früher gegebenen Beschreibungen. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7: 131-214 (page 134, worker described)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922k. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 4 45: 1005-1055 (page 1044, combination in C. (Myrmosericus))
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Donisthorpe H. 1949. A new Camponotus from Madagascar and a small collection of ants from Mauritius. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)2: 271-275.
- Donisthorpe, Horace. 1946. The Ants (Hym. Formicidae) of Mauritius. Annals and Magazine of National History. Ser. 11. 13:25-35.
- 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
- Fisher B. L. 1997. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 31: 269-302.
- Fisher B. L. 2005. A new species of Discothyrea Roger from Mauritius and a new species of Proceratium Roger from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (4)56: 657-667.
- Mamet R. 1954. The ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) of the Mascarene Islands. Mauritius Inst. Bull. 3: 249-259.
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 1005-1055