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Camponotus cemeryi
| Camponotus cemeryi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Myrmosaga |
| Species: | C. cemeryi |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus cemeryi Özdikmen, 2010 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Camponotus cemeryi occurs in dry forest and spiny forest of west Madagascar and in the savannah shrubland and woodland of the central plateau. Along its distribution, members of the species can also be found in gallery forest habitats and in transitional forest between dry and humid forests. It may also establish colonies in human-modified habitats on the high plateau. Specimens have been collected mostly foraging on the forest floor and rarely on lower vegetation. The species nests in rotten logs, in the ground, under stones, and in rotting tree stumps. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)
Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - With head in full-face view, lateral cephalic margins anterior to eye level parallel and lacking erect hairs, lateral and anteromedian clypeal margin continuously forming broad convexity; scape covered with erect hairs; mesosoma short and high (MPH/ML: 0.39, 0.46); petiolar node flattened anteroposteriorly; body color yellowish to brown.
Members of C. cemeryi can be separated from similar species like Camponotus boivini by the strongly convex dorsal outline of its short and high mesosoma. It can be differentiated from Camponotus mahafaly by the presence of erect to suberect hairs on the antennal scape.
Worker specimens that show the typical form of C. cemeryi are generally found across the western dry forest of Madagascar, but specimens have been collected from the mountaintops on the high plateau of the island that present morphological variation in which the lateral margin of head posterior to eye level is covered with erect hairs, three pairs of erect hairs are present on posterior cephalic margin, and body color is generally depigmented yellow or brown with depigmented yellow in some parts of the body. Based on these characters, this variant may constitute a separate species; however, the dendrogram based on quantitative morphological analysis did not support this hypothesis.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- luteolus. Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) hova var. luteolus Emery, 1925b: 85.
- [First available use of Camponotus maculatus r. hova var. luteolus Forel, 1897c: 202 (w.) MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
- Type-material: lectotype major worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 65), 2 paralectotype major workers, 1 paralectotype queen, 1 paralectotype male.
- [Note: only workers are mentioned in the original description.]
- Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: W Madagascar, Majunga (A. Voeltzkow); paralectotypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: NHMB (lectotype); MHNG, NHMB (paralectotypes).
- [Junior primary homonym of Camponotus maculatus subsp. luteolus Emery, 1906c: 188 (Bolton, 1995b: 109).]
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1898a: 225; Santschi, 1911e: 131 (caption of fig. 3g); Emery, 1920c: 5; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1040.
- Subspecies of hova: Bolton, 1995b: 109.
- Replacement name: Camponotus hova cemeryi Özdikmen, 2010a: 527.
- cemeryi. Camponotus hova cemeryi Özdikmen, 2010a: 527.
- Replacement name for Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) hova var. luteolus Emery, 1925b: 85. [Junior primary homonym of Camponotus maculatus subsp. luteolus Emery, 1906c: 188.]
- Combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 65.
- Status as species: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 65 (redescription).
- Distribution: Madagascar.
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, head sides anterior to level of eye parallel, converging progressively to posterior margin; eye large and convex (EL/CS: 0.33±0.01; 0.31–0.35), breaking lateral cephalic margin, level of its posterior border generally located from posterior 1/3 to 1/4 of head (PoOc/CL: 0.25±0.02; 0.22–0.29); frontal carinae not strongly diverging posteriorly (FR/CS: 0.28±0.01; 0.26–0.30), posteriorly diverging; clypeus with anterolateral angle, its anteromedian margin with blunt or convex angle, two apical teeth of mandible distantly spaced; antennal scape long (SL/CS: 1.49±0.05; 1.41–1.60). Dorsum of mesosoma strongly arched (MPH/ML: 0.42±0.02; 0.39–0.46), outline of promesonotum and dorsum of propodeum evenly convex; metanotal groove weakly visible, dorsal margin and declivity of propodeum connect at blunt angle; propodeal declivity height > 3/4 of dorsum length; petiolar node flattened anteroposteriorly, without noticeable dorsal margin; tibia of hind leg rounded axially and not twisted basally.
First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; whole lateral margin of head covered with erect hairs; posterior margin of head with two pairs of erect hairs; antennal scape covered only with appressed hairs; posterodorsal angle of propodeum with more than four erect hairs.
Major Characteristics the same as minor worker, except the enlarged head (CS: 2.41±0.22; 2.19–2.72; CWb/CL: 0.87±0.05; 0.83–0.94); stronger mandible; apical 1/5 of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; metanotum visible; propodeal dorsum slightly convex joining a vertically built declivity at rounded angle; petiolar node much higher than long.
Type Material
- Syntype major workers, queen and male, Madagascar, Majunga (Voeltzkow); 1 syntype major worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, Madagascar, Majunga (Voeltzkow) AntWeb CASENT0101103 (NHMB) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
- Paralectotypes: 2 major workers with the same data as lectotype but with specimen codes CASENT0101104 (NHMB), CASENT0101894 (MHNG); 1 alate queen CASENT0101848 and 1 male CASENT0101911 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].