Camponotus liandia

Camponotus liandia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Subgenus:	Myrmosaga
Species:	C. liandia
Binomial name
	Camponotus liandia; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018 Holotype labels

This species is generally known from coastal scrub and littoral forest in the east, montane rainforest, grassland, shrubland, savannah grassland, woodland, and Uapaca woodland on the central high plateau of Madagascar. It has also colonized dry forest on tsingy and burned savannah in the west, degraded forest below granite outcroppings, and montane shrubland on rock in the high plateau. Nests are established in rotten logs, under stones, and in the ground. Workers may forage on the ground and on low vegetation. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Identification

Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - In full-face view, lateral margins of head anterior to eye level diverging posteriorly; anterior clypeal margin broadly triangular.

Camponotus liandia presents two morphological variations: a matte integument covered with microreticulate sculpture, and a smooth and shining body. The first form has been observed from samples collected from the Forêt d’Atsirakambiaty in the grassland of the south-central high plateau. The second form occupies coastal scrub and littoral forest in the east and dry forest on Tsingy and burned savannah in the west.

Camponotus liandia was originally described under the subgenus Mayria (Rakotonirina and Fisher 2018) but the presence of a median carina on a broadly projected rectangular clypeus and a dorsally tapering petiolar node that are a few of the strong features characterizing the subgenus Myrmosaga has led to the placement of the species to this latter subgenus. The subgenus Mayria has generally rounded anterior clypeal margin and a nodiform petiole.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -20.06784° to -23.45373°.


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.

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0053952. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb


Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0053950. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Male

Images from AntWeb


Male (alate). Specimen code casent0179439. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

liandia. Camponotus liandia Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 33, figs. 6A, 19, 25 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 8 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: Antananarivo, Andohony I Non Protected Area, 22.62 km. SW Antsirabe, -20.06784, 46.99068, 1451 m., transect sample #16, soil digging 20 sample transect, 10 m., 6-7.iii.2012, ARA1637 (A. Ravelomanana); paratypes: 4 workers with same data, 4 workers with same data but ARA1636.
- Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); BMNH, CASC, MHNG, PBZT (paratypes).
- Combination in C. (Mayria): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 33;
- combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 123.
- Status as species: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 123.
- Distribution: Madagascar.

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

Description

Worker

Minor In full-face view, head elongate and rectangular, lateral margins parallel, posteriorly rounding to a more or less straight posterior margin. Anterior clypeal margin projecting into obtusely angulate lobe. Eyes not breaking lateral outlines of head, their posterior margins located far behind the mid-length of the head (PoOc/CL: 0.26±0.01; 0.24–0.27). Mandible triangular, masticatory margin with six teeth. Antennal scape long, roughly its distal half surpassing posterior cephalic margin. In lateral view, pronotum and mesonotum convex; propodeal dorsum slightly concave medially; junction of propodeal dorsum and declivity surface broadly rounded; propodeal dorsum approximately three times longer than height of declivity; propodeal spiracle slit-like. Petiolar node tapering dorsally.

Dorsum of head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster covered with scattered erect hairs, shorter than height of propodeal declivity, and abundant, long pubescence. Body color reddish-black to black.

Major Differing from minor worker in the following characters: larger head, with slight medial concavity on posterior margin; more or less straight anterior clypeal margin; antennal scape barely surpassing posterior cephalic margin; in lateral view, mesosoma characterized by even convexity of pronotum and mesonotum, separated from propodeum by distinct metanotum.

Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - Morphological measurements: see Appendix 1 and Ratios of morphometric data for majors and minors

Type Material

Holotype worker. Madagascar: Province Antananarivo, Andohony I Non Protected Area, 22.62 km SW Antsirabe, -20.06784, 46.99068, 1451 m, transect subsample #16, soil digging 20 sample transect, 10 m, ex soil, Savannah grassland, 6–7 Mar 2012 (A. Ravelomanana) collection code: ARA1637, specimen code: CASENT0803903 (California Academy of Sciences).

Paratypes. 4 workers with same data as holotype but with specimen codes: CASENT0803901, CASENT0803902, CASENT0803904, CASENT0803905; 4 workers with collection code: ARA1636, specimen codes: CASENT0803900, CASENT0803897, CASENT0803898, CASENT0803899 (CASC, The Natural History Museum, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza).

References