Camponotus bevohitra

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus bevohitra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Mayria
Species group: alamaina
Species: C. bevohitra
Binomial name
Camponotus bevohitra
Rakotonirina, Csősz & Fisher, 2016

Camponotus bevohitra casent0437238 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus bevohitra casent0437238 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The distribution of C. bevohitra is limited to montane rainforest habitats in the central high plateau of Madagascar. Specimens have been collected foraging on lower vegetation. The species nests in dead twigs or branches above the ground.

Identification

Rakotonirina et al. (2016) - A member of the Camponotus edmondi species group. Anterior margin of petiolar node convex and posterior margin more or less straight; propodeal spiracle placed anterior to posterolateral margin of propodeum; head and mesosoma black to dark brown, gaster and appendages dark brown to yellow or depigmented yellow; cervical shield joining pronotal dorsum directly; junction of dorsal face to lateral face of propodeum without sharp carina, posterolateral margin rounded; in profile mesopleuron much wider than lateral portion of propodeum; erect hairs lacking on propodeal dorsum.

See discussion of species differentiation under Camponotus androy.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.10322° to -20.59333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

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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Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus bevohitra casent0437247 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437247 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437247 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437247 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Camponotus bevohitraWorker. Specimen code casent0437247. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus bevohitra casent0437246 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437246 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437246 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus bevohitra casent0437246 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype of Camponotus bevohitraQueen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0437246. Photographer Erin Prado, 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.

  • bevohitra. Camponotus bevohitra Rakotonirina, et al. 2016: 113, figs. 9B, 21, 36 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.

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

Description

Worker

Minor. In full-face view head weakly longer than broad (CWb/CL: 0.78–0.85), posterior margin broadly convex; sides almost straight, their junction to posterior border concealed by eyes. Eyes large (EL/CS: 0.27–0.32) and strongly protruding, occupying roughly one third the side of head; level of posterior ocular margin at posterior fifth portion of head (PoOc/CL: 0.18–0.21). Antero-median margin of clypeus straight; posteromedian margin slightly notched. Mandible subtriangular, armed with six teeth. Antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 0.905– 1.109), more than apical third portion extending beyond posterior cephalic border. Promesonotal dorsum flattened; anterodorsal angle of pronotum and dorsolateral portion of mesosoma bluntly marginate; posterolateral margin of propodeum rounding to declivitous surface. In dorsal view, mesonotum as long as broad, but sides converging posteriorly; mesonotum and propodeum laterally compressed at their junction; metanotal groove vestigial, represented by a transverse line. In lateral view, width of mesopleuron at the level of spiracle much wider than lateral portion of propodeum. Propodeal dorsum inclined posteriorly and rounding to declivitous margin; propodeal spiracle located anterior to posterolateral border of propodeum. Maximum width of coxa of foreleg as broad as meso-metapleuron width. In lateral view, petiolar node scale-like; anterior margin slightly convex and posterior margin more or less straight; dorsal margin straight or medially angulate. Junction between abdominal segments III and IV without constriction.

Dorsum of head, mesosoma shining with imbricate sculpture; gaster finely imbricate. Mandible coriarious-puncticulate. Few erect hairs on clypeus and gastral tergites; one pair each near margin of frontal carina, on posterior cephalic portion, and on mesonotum. Erect hairs lacking from pronotum, propodeum, and petiolar node. Pubescence very scarce. Head, mesosoma, and petiole black to dark brown; gaster, mandible, antenna, coxa, and tarsus dark brown to brown; remainder of legs yellow.

Major. With characteristics of minor worker with the exception of the following features: posterior margin of head straight and rounding to lateral margins; apical sixth portion of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic border (SL/CS: 0.753–0.852); metanotum visible between mesonotum and propodeum; sparse shallow punctures present laterally on head from level of anterior ocular margins and clypeus to base of mandible.

Type Material

Holotype worker. Madagascar, Province Antananarivo, Réserve Spéciale d’Ambohitantely, Forêt d Ambohitantely, 20.9 km 72° NE d Ankazobe, –18.22528, 47.28683, 1410 m, montane rainforest, ex dead twig above ground, 17–22 Apr 2001 (Fisher, Griswold et al.) collection code: BLF03727 specimen code: CASENT0437247 (California Academy of Sciences). Paratype. 10 workers with same data as holotype.

References