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Camponotus hovahovoides
| Camponotus hovahovoides | |
|---|---|
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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. hovahovoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus hovahovoides Forel, 1892
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| Synonyms | |
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A widely distributed species, C. hovahovoides occurs mainly in the eastern lowland to montane rainforests and montane shrublands of Madagascar. Colonies can be found mostly in rotten logs and sticks or in rotting tree stumps; they are seldom established in dead branches or twigs above the ground. Workers forage on the ground or through leaf litter, rarely on lower parts of vegetation. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)
Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - Lateral cephalic margins approximately parallel in full-face view; two apical teeth of mandible normally spaced; antennal scape covered with suberect hairs; in lateral view, dorsum of mesosoma from mid-mesonotum to posterodorsal corner of propodeum approximately straight, propodeal dorsum ca. 3 × as long as the height of declivity surface; petiolar node flattened anteroposteriorly.
See also discussion under Camponotus mixtellus. Camponotus hovahovoides is one of the more common species of Myrmosaga occupying the montane rainforests of Madagascar and shows notable morphological variation. Two variants are recognized based on the shapes of the mesosoma and body colors, but these merge progressively into one typical form across the geographic distribution of the species.
Variant 1. In this variant the posterior 1/2 of mesonotum to posterodorsal corner of propodeum is not straight in lateral view and the body is pale yellow to reddish orange in color.
Variant 2. This variant is known by a dorsum of mesosoma from mid-mesonotum to posterodorsal corner of propodeum that is approximately straight, and its body is dark brown to black in color or the mesosoma is lighter in color relative to the darker head and gaster. Workers of this variant have been collected from mountaintops.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -18.151349° to -18.151349°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
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
Worker
Images from AntWeb
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101334. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
    
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| Lectotype of Camponotus hovahovoides. Worker. Specimen code casent0101335. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus hovahovoides. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101851. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101336. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
    
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus radamae hovoides. Worker. Specimen code casent0101337. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Specimen code casent0101412. . | |
   
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| Lectotype of Camponotus radamae hovoides. Worker. Specimen code casent0101421. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MNHN, Paris, France. |
   
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus radamae hovoides. Worker. Specimen code casent0101429. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MNHN, Paris, France. |
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101432. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MNHN, Paris, France. |
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101931. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus radamae hovoides. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101954. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101855. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus hovahovoides. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101629. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Male
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Paralectotype of Camponotus radamae hovoides. Male (alate). Specimen code casent0101782. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hovahovoides. Camponotus hovahovoides Forel, 1892l: 232 (s.w.q.m.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: lectotype minor worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104), 1 paralectotype major worker, 1 paralectotype queen, 1 paralectotype male.
- Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: Forêt d’Andrangoloaka (F. Sikora); paralectotypes with same data.
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- [Note: this taxon is captioned as a species, but the text states, “Forme intermédiaire entre la race hova et la variété hovoides”.]
- Combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104.
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Emery, 1920c: 5; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1040.
- Subspecies of hova: Dalla Torre, 1893: 235; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 104.
- Status as species: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104 (redescritpion).
- Senior synonym of hovoides: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104.
- Distribution: Madagascar.
- hovoides. Camponotus radamae var. hovoides Dalla Torre, 1893: 249.
- [First available use of Camponotus maculatus r. radamae var. hovoides Forel, 1891b: 33 (s.w.q.m.) MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
- Type-material: lectotype minor worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104), 1 paralectotype major worker, 2 paralectotype minor workers, 1 paralectotype queen, 1 paralectotype male.
- Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: Antananarivo (P. Camboué); paralectotypes: with same data, with same data but (J.M. Hildebrandt).
- Type-depositories: MNHN (lectotype); MHNG, MNHN, MNHU (paralectotypes).
- Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Forel, 1907g: 89; Santschi, 1911e: 131 (caption of fig. 3f); Emery, 1920c: 5; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1041.
- Subspecies of hova: Santschi, 1911e: 132; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 104.
- Junior synonym of hovahovoides: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 104.
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 Head sides anterior to level of eye parallel; lateral margins posterior to level of eye converging progressively to posterior margin; length of posterior portion of head behind eye level 1/3 length of head (PoOc/CL: 0.28±0.01; 0.25–0.31). Eyes protruding and large (EL/CS: 0.30±0.01; 0.27–0.34), breaking lateral cephalic margin. Frontal carinae strongly diverging posteriorly (FR/CS: 0.30±0.01; 0.28–0.33); clypeus projecting into anterolateral angle and medially with blunt angle or convex. Two apical teeth of mandible distantly spaced. Antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.54±0.08; 1.43–1.75) with erect to suberect hairs inclined to 45°. Promesonotum weakly convex and mesopropodeum almost flat, metanotal groove weakly visible, propodeal dorsum anteriorly convex and posteriorly flat, joining the declivity in a blunt angle, propodeal declivity height 1/2 dorsum length. Petiolar node flattened anteroposteriorly or short and high, its dorsal margin rounding to anterior margin. Tibia of hind leg rounded and not twisted dorsoventrally.
First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots. Lateral margin of head covered with erect hairs; posterior margin of head with two or three pairs of erect hairs; posterodorsal angle of propodeum with one or two pairs of erect hairs.
Major Characteristics the same as minor worker, except the enlarged head (CS: 2.66±0.20; 2.40–3.07; CWb/CL: 0.77±0.02; 0.72–0.80); the more strongly built mandible; apical 1/5 of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; metanotum visible; propodeal dorsum convex and its junction to declivity broadly angulate; petiolar node much higher than long.
Type Material
Camponotus hovahovoides
- Syntype minor and major workers, queen and male, Madagascar, Andrangoloaka (Sikora) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022]; 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0101335.
- Paralectotypes with same data as lectotype but: 1 major worker CASENT0101851 (MHNG), 1 queen CASENT0101629 (MHNG), 1 male CASENT0101759 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
Camponotus radamae hovoides
- Syntype minor and major workers, queen and male, Madagascar; 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, Antananarivo (Camboué) AntWeb CASENT0101421 (MNHN) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
- Paralectotypes: 2 minor workers CASENT0101429 (MNHN), CASENT0101337 (MHNG); 1 queen CASENT0101412 (MNHN); Madagascar (Hildebrandt) 1 major worker CASENT0101954 (MHNG) and 1 male CASENT0101782 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
Taxonomic Notes
Camponotus hovahovoides has a wide distribution across the humid forest in Madagascar, this information combined with the results of the comparison of the syntype specimens of C. radamae hovoides with those of C. hovahovoides indicate that there is no strong morphological difference between both taxa. The few specimens of C. radamae hovoides represent a rare variation of C. hovahovoides across its geographic distribution. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)
References
- Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
- Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 235, Variety of hova)
- Forel, A. 1892o. Les Formicides. [concl.]. In: Grandidier, A. Histoire physique, naturelle, et politique de Madagascar. Volume XX. Histoire naturelle des Hyménoptères. Deuxième partie. Supplèment au 28e fascicule. Paris: Hachette et Cie, pp. 229-280. (page 232, worker, queen, male described)
- 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).
- 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 (see also)