Camponotus jaliensis

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus jaliensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. jaliensis
Binomial name
Camponotus jaliensis
Dalla Torre, 1893

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Specimen Labels

Nests under stones. In Cyprus, Camponotus jaliensis has been collected from agricultural land (sowed field, next to road bushes at streambanks), urban habitats (pedestrian road and roadsides, monastery, hotel and botanical garden), forests and shadowy habitats (cave, gorge, pine forest, shadow valley), open (xerothermic meadow), coastal (beach area) and riparian habitats (riverbanks, close to dam lake). Most records are from altitudes below 500 m, the highest locality was in Anopoli, Crete at 1780 m. (Borowiec and Salata 2022, Salata et al. 2023).

Identification

Ionescu-Hirsch (2009) - C. jaliensis and the closely-related Camponotus shaqualavensis (Radchenko, 1997b) are small species of the subgenus Tanaemyrmex, recognizable by the erect setae on the genae, and by the shape and pilosity of the hind tibia that is slightly compressed laterally, without a dorsomedial ridge, covered only with apressed pubescence, and lacking a ventral row of bristles. Specimens from Israel differ from the Syntypes by shorter erect setae on the gena and the presence in about half of the specimens of pale yellowish areas on the first gastral tergite (J. Kugler, personal communication), features that recall C. shaqualavensis. However, they differ from C. shaqualavensis in many details. In C. jaliensis, the mesosoma is dorsally arched, with an elongated propodeum while in shaqualavensis, the propodeal dorsum is straighter, forming a better defined angle with the declivity. The head and mesosoma sculpture of C. jaliensis is stronger than in the shiny C. shaqualavensis; the color of C. shaqualavensis is darker, with larger and bright yellow gastral maculae. C. jaliensis has size, shape, and hindtibia morphology and pilosity similar to Camponotus alii, but differs from it by having erect setae on the genae, as opposed to the glabrous genae in C. alii.

Salata et al. (2023) - In Cypriot populations only dark forms were collected. Pale forms, common in islands of the Aegean region (Borowiec & Salata (2022): figs. 54.1, 2 and 54.5, 6), were absent in the material collected in Cyprus.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Greece and the Near East (Radchenko, 2007).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.367778° to 33°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Cyprus, Greece (type locality), Israel, Türkiye.

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

Nomenclature

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

  • jaliensis. Camponotus oertzeni var. jaliensis Dalla Torre, 1893: 246.
    • [First available use of Camponotus rubripes r. oertzeni var. jaliensis Forel, 1889: 264 (s.w.) GREECE; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
    • Type-material: syntype major and minor workers (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: Greece: Sporades Is, Jali I., 1887 (E. von Oertzen).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • [Misspelled as jalensis by Emery, 1896d: 370.]
    • Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 97.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list).
    • Subspecies of maculatus: Emery, 1908a: 201.
    • Subspecies of aethiops: Emery, 1920c: 7; Emery, 1925b: 97.
    • Status as species: Pisarski, 1971a: 672; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 284 (in key); Kugler, J. 1988: 259; Collingwood, 1993b: 195; Bolton, 1995b: 106; Petrov, 2006: 109 (in key); Vonshak, et al. 2009: 39; Ionescu-Hirsch, 2010: 74; Legakis, 2011: 30; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 476; Borowiec, L. 2014: 34; Lebas, et al. 2016: 152; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 44; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2022: 123.
    • Distribution: Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Turkey.

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

Description

Worker

Ionescu-Hirsch (2009) - TL = 5.5–9.0, HL = 1.46–2.22, HW = 1.11–2.11, EL = 0.45–0.57, SL = 1.84–2.01, ML = 2.30–2.93, PW = 0.98–1.41, mTbL = 1.45–1.68, hTbL = 1.95–2.27 (n = 20).

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Moderately large to large, polymorphic; minor workers HL: 1.190-1.241 (mean 1.222); HW: 0.822-0.897 (mean 0.868); SL: 1.208-1.352 (mean 1.293); EL: 0.357- 0.373 (mean 0.366); ML: 1.84-1.97; MW: 0.77-0.86. Color. Body variable in color, in rare palest specimens head, mesosoma, petiolar scale, antennae and legs uniformly yellow, gaster yellowish to yellowish brown; usually if head and mesosoma yellow then petiolar scale and gaster brown except white posterior margin of tergites, sometimes also vertex of head with brownish spot of diffused margins; in intermediate specimens head yellowish brown, mesosoma brown in various shade, petiole and gaster dark brown to almost black then antennal scape slightly infuscate and femora partly brown but apex of fore coxa and whole mid and hind coxa and trochanters pale yellow; in dark specimens whole body brown, antennae infuscate, legs mostly brown except yellowish to yellowish brown tarsi and partly contrasting yellow coxa and trochanters; in the darkest specimens whole body dark brown, head and gaster almost black only antennal funicle, tarsi, and mid and hind coxa and trochanters partly yellowish brown. Head. Elongate, 1.4 times as long as wide, sides in front of eyes straight and parallel, behind eyes regularly softly rounded, posterior margin rounded or in the middle straight. Clypeus pentagonal, in the middle forms rectangular plate protruding anterad, its anterior margin straight, slightly crenulate, on sides anterior clypeal margin deeply emarginate, sides of clypeus strongly converging posterad, straight, posterior margin straight but in the middle shallowly emarginate by frontal triangle, clypeal plate along middle with distinct obtuse keel, whole surface with microreticulation, surface shiny, covered with very sparse and short appressed hairs, anterior margin in the middle with 6 very long setae, on sides with few short additional setae, central plate with 3-4 pairs of moderately long to long erected setae. Surface with microsculpture mostly tending to form transverse or circular striation, on sides of head and in occipital area microsculpture indistinctly diffused, background always shiny, covered with sparse and short appressed pubescence, appears partly unhaired, gena and sides of head with few erected setae, frons with 2-4 pairs of erected setae, vertex with less than 10 moderately long to long erected setae, occipital corners without or with 1-2 erected setae, ventral side of head with less than 10 moderately long to long erected setae. Scape very elongate, thin, 1.5 times as long as width of head, slightly, regularly widened from base to apex, its surface microreticulate, slightly dull, with short and sparse appressed pubescence. Funicular segments elongate, thin, first segment approximately 2.7 times as long as wide and 1.4-1.5 times as long as second segment, third segment distinctly longer than second, the rest of funicular segments very elongate. Eyes very large, elongate oval, 0.30 length of head. Mandibles stout, diffusely microreticulate and punctate, surface shiny. Mesosoma. Elongate 2.2-2.5 times as long as wide, dorsally and laterally distinctly sculptured tending to form longitudinal, transverse and oblique striation, surface strongly shiny. In lateral view dorsum form regular arch, without mesonotal groove, propodeum never with shallow concavity, posterior face forms with dorsum obtuse angle. Surface of mesosomal dorsum with short and scarce, hardly visible depressed hairs, lateral sides partly unhaired, pronotum with 2-6, mesonotum 2-4, propodeum 2-3 very long erected setae, number of erected setae in intermediate workers increases with the size of the ant. Waist and gaster. Petiole in form of broad, thick scale with convex anterior and flat posterior face, apex regularly rounded; surface with distinct transverse striation covered with short and sparse appressed hairs, apical crest with 4-6 very long erected setae. Gaster shorter than mesosoma, tergites with fine transverse microstriation, interspaces without additional microsculpture thus surface of gaster appears strongly shiny, covered with short and scarce appressed hairs; first tergite with a row of 4 very long erected setae across middle and a row of very long setae in front of posterior margin, tergites 2-3 with transverse row of very long erected setae close to base and similar row in front of posterior margin, row of short setae on posterior margin short, not or partly reaching half length of the transparent margin. Legs. Moderately long and thin, hind femora shorter than mesosoma, surface of legs covered with sparse appressed to slightly decumbent hairs, inner margin of tibiae lacking row of thorns. Ventral surface of fore femora with 2-3 long erected setae.

Major workers: HL: 2.220-2.333 (mean 2.249); HW: 2.067-2.60 (mean 2.128); SL: 1.830-1.966 (mean 1.902); EL: 0.460-0.523 (mean 0.489); ML: 2.57-2.93; MW: 1.28-1.47. In body color and sculpture similar to minor workers but head appears less shiny than in minor workers. Head stouter, approximately as long as wide, widest in basal ¼ length, sides softly rounded and converging anterad, posterior margin concave; anterior margin of clypeus distinctly crenulate, central plate of clypeus head with more numerous erected setae, gular area with more than 15 short to long erected setae. Scape proportionally shorter, 0.9 times as long as width of head. Eyes proportionally smaller, 0.22 length of head; mesosoma stouter, 1.9-2.0 times as long as wide, in profile forming more convex arch, propodeum with almost straight posterior angle. Setation of all mesosomal parts more numerous, pronotum with 7-12 setae, mesonotum and propodeum with 3-9 setae. Ventral surface of fore femora with 4-9 long erected setae.

Queen

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - body predominantly yellowish to reddish brown, legs and antennae yellow.

Type Material

Salata et al. (2023) - Syntype workers, Camponotus oertzeni v. jaliensis., Ile Jali (Yali Island) (MHNG) (leg. von Oertzen)

References

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.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
  • Collingwood, C. A. 1993. A Comparitive Study of the Ant Fauna of Five Greek Islands. Biologia Gallo-hellenica. 20,1:191-197
  • Collingwood, C. A.. "A comparative study of the ant fauna of five Greek islands." Biologia Gallo-Hellenica 20 (1993): 191-197.
  • Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
  • Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
  • Forel, A.. "Ameisen aus den Sporaden, den Cykladen und Griechenland, gesammelt 1887 von Herrn von Oertzen." Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift 32 (1889): 255-265.
  • Ionescu-Hirsch A. 2009. An annotated list of Camponotus of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key and descriptions of new species. ISRAEL JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY 39: 57–98.
  • Kugler J. 1988. The zoogeography of Israel. 9. The zoogeography of social insects of Israel and Sinai. Monographiae biologicae 62: 251-275.
  • Legakis Collection Database
  • Martinez J. J. 2008. Firebreaks in planted pine forests in Israel: patches for Mediterranean Bata ants. Vie et Milieu 58(3/4): 233-236.
  • Salata S., L. Borowiec, and A.Trichas. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Cretan Fauna of the Genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Notes on the Endemism of Ant Fauna of Crete. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 68(4): 769-808.
  • Salata S., and L Borowiec. 2017. Species of Tetramorium semilaeve complex from Balkans and western Turkey, with description of two new species of (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 62:279–313.
  • Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. A new species of the ant genus Lasius Fabricius, 1804 from Crete (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 789: 139–159.
  • Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.
  • Vonshak M., and A. Ionescu-Hirsch. 2009. A checklist of the ants of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 39: 33-55.