Camponotus immaculatus

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Camponotus immaculatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Myrmosaga
Species: C. immaculatus
Binomial name
Camponotus immaculatus
Forel, 1892

Camponotus immaculatus casent0102428 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus immaculatus casent0102428 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

Occupying the high plateau of Madagascar, C. immaculatus occurs in shrubland and grassland areas, montane rainforest, savannah grassland, and Uapaca woodland habitats (Fig. 60D). It is also known from rainforest and forest transitioning to montane forest in the southeast, and from human-modified habitats in the west, south, and high plateau of the island. Nest sites are typically established in the ground, under stones, and under rotten logs, while foraging is carried out in the leaf litter, on the ground, and on lower vegetation. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Identification

In full-face view, lateral margins of head anterior to eye level diverging posteriorly; anterior clypeal margin truncate; white spots absent on second and third abdominal tergite.

Camponotus immaculatus can be easily separated from Camponotus kelimaso and Camponotus lubbocki by the presence of the broad concavity on the propodeal dorsum. It also can be distinguished from other species because the anteromedian margin of its clypeus is truncate and no white spots are visible on the abdominal tergites. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -17.8802° to -18.0264°.

 
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

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102106 head 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102106 profile 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102106 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102106 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype of Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacataWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0102106. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102107 head 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102107 head 2.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102107 profile 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102107 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102107 label 1.jpg
Lectotype of Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacataWorker. Specimen code casent0102107. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102108 head 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102108 profile 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102108 profile 2.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102108 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102108 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype of Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacataQueen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0102108. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 head 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 profile 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 profile 2.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 profile 3.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102433 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype of Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacataWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0102433. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102434 head 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102434 profile 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102434 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus quadrimaculatus opacatus casent0102434 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype of Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacatusWorker. Specimen code casent0102434. 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.

  • immaculatus. Camponotus quadrimaculatus var. immaculatus Forel, 1892l: 233 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR.
    • Combination in C. (Mayria): Emery, 1925b: 123.
    • Subspecies of quadrimaculatus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 249; Emery, 1896d: 374 (in list); Forel, 1907g: 91; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1047; Emery, 1925b: 123; Bolton, 1995b: 104.
    • Status as species: Olson & Ward, 1996: 164.
  • opaca. Camponotus quadrimaculatus var. opaca Emery, 1899f: 290 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
    • [Junior secondary homonym of Formica opaca Nylander, 1856b: 55.]
    • Subspecies of quadrimaculatus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1047.
    • Replacement name: Camponotus (Mayria) quadrimaculatus var. opacata Emery, 1925b: 123.
    • Junior synonym of immaculatus: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 111.
  • opacatus. Camponotus (Mayria) quadrimaculatus var. opacata Emery, 1925b: 123.
    • Replacement name for Camponotus quadrimaculatus var. opaca Emery, 1899f: 290. [Junior secondary homonym of Formica opaca Nylander, 1856b: 55.]
    • Subspecies of quadrimaculatus: Bolton, 1995b: 115.
    • Junior synonym of immaculatus: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 111.

Type Material

Camponotus quadrimaculatus immaculatus

  • Syntype workers, Madagascar Andrangoloaka (Sikora); 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by Rakotonirina & Fisher (2022), AntWeb CASENT0102430 (MHNG).
  • Paralectotypes: 2 major workers of same data as lectotype but with specimen codes: CASENT0102429, CASENT0102431 (MHNG) (Andrangoloaka). (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacata

  • Syntype workers and alate queen, Madagascar, Baie d’Antongil (Mocquerys); 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by Rakotonirina & Fisher (2022), AntWeb CASENT0102107) (MSNG).
  • Paralectotypes: 2 major worker and one alate queen of same data as lectotype but respectively with the following specimen codes: CASENT0102106 (MSNG), CASENT0102433 (MHNG) and CASENT0102108 (MSNG). (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Taxonomic Notes

When describing C. quadrimaculatus opacata, Emery (1925) did not make any comparative study with C. immaculatus. He stated no morphological characters that separate the former species from the later, and our examination of the syntype specimens of both taxa indicates that morphological variation observed in the former is found across the large geographical distribution of the latter. Hence, there is no doubt to make C. quadrimaculatus opacata under synonymy with C. immaculatus. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Description

References

  • Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 123, Combination in C. (Mayria))
  • 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 233, worker, queen described)
  • Olson, D. M.; Ward, P. S. 1996. The ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Kirindy Forest (tropical dry forest) in western Madagascar. Pp. 161-164 in Ganzhorn, J. U., Sorg, J.-P. (eds.) Ecology and economy of a tropical dry forest in Madagascar. Primate (page 164, Raised to species)
  • 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)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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. 1907. Ameisen von Madagaskar, den Comoren und Ostafrika. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Reise in Ostafrika 2: 75-92.
  • 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