Camponotus extensus

Camponotus extensus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Species:	C. extensus
Binomial name
	Camponotus extensus; Mayr, 1876 Specimen Labels

Identification

McArthur and Leys (2006) - Camponotus maculatus group species share the following distinguishing characters: 1. The most striking character is the distinct occipital carina in minor workers (see the dorsal head view of the minor worker in the caste images of Camponotus crozieri). This forms a ridge externally and probably serves to strengthen the anterior parts of the head (Snodgrass 1935), it is absent in major workers. 2. Strong dimorphism, i.e., workers encountered are mostly either major or minor, medium workers are non existent or very scarce. 3. The sides of the heads of major workers taper strongly to the front (Fig. 2) while in minor workers, the sides are mostly parallel and taper to the rear. 4. The vertex in major workers is concave or flat, in minor workers it is convex. 5. The scape and tibiae have plentiful short setae, raised up, more so in Australian than in African species. 6. Biology: (a) mostly nocturnal, (b) nests are at honey bait, (e) quickly scatter when disturbed by torch light.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Camponotus species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -20.8° to -33.333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

extensus. Camponotus extensus Mayr, 1876: 65 (s.w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
- Type-material: syntype major and minor workers (numbers not stated).
- Type-locality: Australia (“eastern New Holland”): Queensland, Rockhampton (no collector’s name).
- Type-depository: NHMW.
- Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 267;
- combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 90.
- Subspecies of sexguttatus: Forel, 1879a: 73.
- Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 230; Emery, 1894f: 3; Emery, 1896d: 371 (in list); Forel, 1902h: 495; Forel, 1915b: 99; Emery, 1920b: 255; Emery, 1925b: 90; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 114; Taylor, 1987a: 12; Bolton, 1995b: 98; McArthur, 2007a: 328; McArthur, 2014: 86.
- Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

Syntype, many workers, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna.

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

Description

Worker Length, 7-9 mm. Dusky, head and gaster dusky black; with head scarcely hairy but the gaster has moderate erect pilosity, most dispersed and adpressed pubescence, tibias with 4 posterior hairs short and obliquely erect: glossy, finly coriaceous with fine transverse striations. The head in the major worker especially the anterior rather punctate coriaceous: the clypeus is keeled, moderately produced in front and emarginate on both sides; thorax elongate, pronotum convex, mesonotum and basal part of the metanotum (= propodfeum), angle straight: petiole with an ovate node; limbs are moderately long and slender.

References

Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 230, revived status as species)
Emery, C. 1894g. Camponotus sexguttatus Fab. e C. sexguttatus Sm. et auct. Boll. Mus. Zool. Anat. Comp. R. Univ. Torino 9(1 187: 1-4 (page 3, revived status as species)
Emery, C. 1896j. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Mem. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna (5)5:363-382 (page 371, revived status as species)
Emery, C. 1920b. Le genre Camponotus Mayr. Nouvel essai de la subdivision en sous-genres. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 8: 229-260 (page 255, revived status as species)
Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 90, combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex))
Forel, A. 1879a. Études myrmécologiques en 1879 (deuxième partie [1re partie en 1878]). Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 16: 53-128 (page 73, race of sexguttatus)
Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 267, combination in C. (Myrmoturba))
Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
Mayr, G. 1876. Die australischen Formiciden. J. Mus. Godeffroy 12: 56-115 (page 65, soldier, worker described)
McArthur, A. J. and R. Leys. 2006. A morphological and molecular study of some species in the Camponotus maculatus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia and Africa, with a description of a new Australian species. Myrmecologische Nachrichten. 8:99-110.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Emery C. 1894. Camponotus sexguttatus Fab. e C. sexguttatus Sm. et auct. Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino 9(187): 1-4.