Camponotus hova

Camponotus hova
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Subgenus:	Myrmosaga
Species:	C. hova
Binomial name
Camponotus hova Forel, 1891 Specimen labels
Synonyms
Camponotus hova obscuratus Emery, 1925

Within Madagascar, Camponotus hova is widespread and occurs in dry forests of the west from the north throughout the center and the southwest of regions, and is also known from Juan de Nova, Europa, and Mayotte islands. On these small islands, members of this species occupy coastal spiny bush on sand, spiny forest on coral, and coastal dune vegetation. This species is also capable of colonizing human-modified habitats. Workers are found foraging on the ground and nest sites are located in rotten logs, in the ground, and in rot pockets above the ground (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022).

At a Glance

• Limited invasive

Identification

Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - Lateral cephalic margins approximately parallel in full-face view; two apical teeth of mandible closely spaced; antennal scape covered with erect hairs.

Camponotus hova shows significant morphological variation across its wide distribution in Madagascar and nearby islands. Two variants are recognized according to the forms of the dorsum of the propodeum, but these merge gradually into the typical form through their geographical distribution.

Variant 1. Workers of this variant express the typical form by which the posterior 1/2 of the mesonotum to the posterodorsal corner of the propodeum is straight in profile. The petiolar node is characterized by the posterior inclination of the dorsal margin toward the anterior face, which is ca. 1/3 the height of the posterior face. This variant occupies the southwest region of Madagascar and surrounding islands. Integument is brown to dark brown or blackish brown in color.

Variant 2. This variant is known from the northwestern part of Madagascar and is characterized by the presence of a slightly broad concavity from the posterior 1/2 of mesonotum to posterodorsal corner of propodeum in lateral view and by the pale yellow to reddish orange color the body. Its petiole is nodiform, and the dorsal margin rounds to the anterior face, which is 1/2 height of the posterior face.

Keys including this Species

• Key to minor workers of the Malagasy Camponotus, subgenus Myrmosaga
• Key to workers of the Socotra Archipelago, Yemen

Distribution

Described from Madagascar, commonly found on islands of East Africa (Collingwood and Agosti 1996, Collingwood et al. 2004), and recorded from the Arabian Peninsula: Oman (Collingwood 1985) and Yemen (Collingwood and Agosti 1996, Sharaf et al., 2017).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 23.613333° to -20.06666667°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Comoros, Mozambique, Socotra Archipelago, Yemen.
Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality), Mayotte, Seychelles.
Palaearctic Region: Oman.

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

Collected in Yemen from dry leaf litter next to a date palm tree (Sharaf et al., 2017).

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Lectotype of Camponotus hova. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101908. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Worker. Specimen code casent0101099. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Type of Camponotus hova obscuratus. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0104640. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ZMHB, Berlin, Germany.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101428. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MNHN, Paris, France.

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0146225. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101951. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Male

Images from AntWeb

Paralectotype of Camponotus hovahovoides. Male (alate). Specimen code casent0101759. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Type of unavailable quadrinomial: Camponotus maculatus hova laticollus. Male (alate). Specimen code casent0104637. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ZMHB, Berlin, Germany.

Nomenclature

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

• hova. Camponotus maculatus r. hova Forel, 1891b: 35.
  • [First available use of Camponotus rubripes r. maculatus var. hova Forel, 1886f: 150 (s.w.q.) MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
  • Type-material: lectotype major worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99).
  • Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: Morondava (A. Grandidier).
  • [Notes (i): original syntype data: syntype major and minor workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated), Madagascar: (no further data) (A. Grandidier), Madagascar; Morondava, W coast of Madagascar (C. Grevé); invalid restriction of type-locality by Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1040; no lectotype designated.]
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85;
  • combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99.
  • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Forel, 1907g: 89.
  • Subspecies of maculatus: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 241 (footnote); Emery, 1895f: 337; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Forel, 1897c: 200; Emery, 1898a: 225; Forel, 1907e: 14; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1040.
  • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 235; Emery, 1920c: 5, 9 (in key); Emery, 1925b: 85; Collingwood, 1985: 280; Bolton, 1995b: 104; Dorow, 1996a: 86; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 373; Collingwood, et al. 2004: 489; Borowiec, L. 2014: 33 (see note in bibliography); Sharaf, Fisher, et al. 2017: 9; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99 (redescription).
  • Senior synonym of obscuratus: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99.
  • Distribution: Europa I., Juan de Nova I., Madagascar, Mayotte.
  • Current subspecies: nominal plus fulvus, pictiventris.
• obscuratus. Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) hova var. obscurata Emery, 1925b: 85.
  • [First available use of Camponotus maculatus subsp. radamae var. obscurata Forel, 1907g: 89 (s.w.m.) EUROPA I., MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
  • Type-material: lectotype minor worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99), 1 paralectotype major worker.
  • [Note: original description also includes males (number not stated).]
  • Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: SW Madagascar, Tulear (A. Voeltzkow); paralectotype with same data.
  • [Note: other original syntype locality: Europa I.: “between Madagascar and Africa” (A. Voeltzkow) (invalid restriction of type-locality by Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1041; no lectotype designated.]
  • Type-depository: NHMB (perhaps also MHNG).
  • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1041.
  • Subspecies of hova: Bolton, 1995b: 114.
  • Junior synonym of hova: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99.
  • Material of the unavailable name obscurior referred here by Emery, 1925b: 85.

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 With head in full-face view, lateral margins of head anterior to level of eye parallel and converging progressively to posterior margin; head sides behind eye level ca. 1/4 length of head (PoOc/CL: 0.25±0.02; 0.22–0.28). Eyes protruding and large (EL/CS: 0.30±0.01; 0.28–0.32), breaking lateral cephalic margins; frontal carinae not widely diverging posteriorly (FR/CS: 0.27±0.01; 0.24–0.30), posteriorly parallel; clypeus with anterolateral angle and triangular or convex anteromedian margin; two apical teeth of mandible closely spaced; antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.53±0.08; 1.41–1.83). Dorsum of mesosoma highly convex, mesonotum with posterior portion flat immediately anterior to metanotal groove; metanotal groove weakly visible; propodeal dorsum almost straight, junction to declivity with blunt angle; declivity height 1/2 length of propodeal dorsum; petiolar node nodiform with dorsal margin inclined posteriorly and forming a blunt angle to anterior face; anterior face of petiolar node 1/3 height of posterior face. Tibia of hind leg rounded axially and not twisted basally.

First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; lateral margin of head with erect hairs; posterior margin of head with more than six erect hairs. Antennal scape covered with suberect hairs inclined ca. 30° and abundant pubescence. Posterodorsal angle of propodeum with a pair of erect hairs.

Major Differing from minor worker in the following characters: enlarged head (CS: 3.17±0.16; 2.94–3.48; CWb/CL: 0.94±0.03; 0.89–1.01) with broadly concave posterior margin; two apical teeth of mandible normally spaced; apical 1/4 of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; robust mesosoma, metanotum distinctly visible, propodeal dorsum joining declivity in broad angle; dorsal margin of petiolar node inclined posteriorly from shorter anterior face towards much longer posterior face. More pairs of erect hairs on promesonotum, junction of propodeal dorsum and declivity, and posterodorsal margin of petiolar node.

Type Material

Camponotus maculatus hova

• Syntype workers and queen, Morondava côte ouest de Madagascar (Grandidier) (MHNG); 1 syntype major worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0101908 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Camponotus hova obscuratus

• Syntype workers and male, SW Madagascar (Voeltzkow) (NHMB); 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0101110 (NHMB) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
• Paracletotype major worker with same data as lectotype but specimen coded as: CASENT0101109 (NHMB) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Taxonomic Notes

Based on the original description of C. hova (Forel, 1891) and C. hova obscuratus (Emery, 1925) and the examination of their respective syntype specimens, there are no distinctive characters that were found to differentiate both taxa. The observation of the collection obtained from the recent survey of the Malagasy ant fauna indicates that the distinctive characters of C. hova obscuratus vary within and across the populations of C. hova. Therefore, it is reasonable to place safely C. hova obscuratus in synonymy with C. hova (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022).

Determination Clarifications

A record of Camponotus maculatus for Socotra (Kohl 1907), based on specimens collected in 1899 by the expedition of the Vienna museum, should certainly be referred to C. hova.

References

• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Collingwood, C. A., Pohl, H., Guesten, R., Wranik, W. and van Harten, A. 2004. The ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra Archipelago. Fauna of Arabia. 20:473-495.
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 235, Raised to species)
• Emery, C. 1920d. Studi sui Camponotus. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 52: 3-48 (page 5, Raised to species)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 85, Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex), Raised to species)
• Forel, A. 1891c. Les Formicides. [part]. In: Grandidier, A. Histoire physique, naturelle, et politique de Madagascar. Volume XX. Histoire naturelle des Hyménoptères. Deuxième partie (28e fascicule). Paris: Hachette et Cie, v + 237 pp. (page 35, soldier, worker, queen described)
• Forel, A. 1897d. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen un (page 200, Race/subspecies of maculatus)
• Forel, A. 1907h. Formiciden aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum in Hamburg. II. Teil. Neueingänge seit 1900. Mitt. Naturhist. Mus. Hambg. 24: 1-20 (page 14, Race/subspecies of maculatus)
• 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).
• Sharaf, M.R., Fisher, B.L., Collingwood, C.A., Aldawood, A.S. 2017. Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen): zoogeography, distribution and description of a new species. Journal of Natural History 51, 317–378 (DOI 10.1080/00222933.2016.1271157).
• 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 1040, Race/subspecies of maculatus)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Collingwood C. A. 1985. Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7: 230-302.
• Collingwood, C. A. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insects: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2) Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 300-385.
• Collingwood, C. A., and A. van Harten. "Additions to the Ant Fauna of Yemen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Buchreihe zur Entomologie 8 (2001): 559-568.
• Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
• Collingwood, C. A.. "Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7 (1985): 230-302.
• Dorow, Wolfgang H. O. 1995. Review and Bibliography of the ants of the Seychelles (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Afr. Zool. 110:73-96
• Dorow, Wolfgang H.O. 1996. Review and bibliography of the ants of the Seychelles. Journal of African Zoology 110(2): 73-95.
• 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. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
• Forel A. 1897. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen und von Herrn Perrot auf Ste. Marie (Madagaskar) gesammelten Ameisen. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 21: 185-208.
• Goodman S., Y. Anbdou, Y. Andriamiarantsoa, B. L. Fisher, O. Griffiths, B. Keitt, J. J. Rafanomezantsoa, E. Rajoelison, J. C. Rakotonirina, L. Ranaivoarisoa et al. 2017. Results of a biological inventory of the Nosy Ankao island group, Parc National de Loky-Manambato, northeastern Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, Association Vahatra, 2017, 11, <http://www.vahatra.mg/volume11fr.html>
• Hill M. J., T. M. Vel, S. J. Parr, and N. J. Shah. 2002. North Island (Seychelles). Geology, Topography and Climate. Atoll Research Bulletin 495: 176-199.
• Ravelomanana A., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Diversity of ants in burned and unburned grassland , and dry deciduous forest in the Beanka Reserve, Melaky Region, western Madagascar. Malagasy Nature 7: 171-183.
• Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004
• 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