Camponotus mombassae

Camponotus mombassae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Species:	C. mombassae
Binomial name
	Camponotus mombassae; Forel, 1886

Identification

Taylor & McGavin (2020) - A medium sized ant, major (?) TL 5.6 mm. First report from Tanzania; previously known only from holotype worker from Mombassa, Kenya. There are no type images on Antweb but Forel’s description as a new species has the propodeum as very narrow, very inclined, feebly concave from front to back, much longer than the declivity from which it is separated by a very obtuse, rounded angle. One finding of 3 minor workers on O. holstii (Tree 3/56). With the specimens from Tanzania, it is quite clear that mombassae is a genuine species and that the synonymy under Camponotus acvapimensis, attributed to Wheeler (1922: 948) by Bolton (1995) was wrong. Wheeler gave no reason for his synonymy nor was there any indication that he had seen specimens of mombassae. The C. acvapimensis minor worker (CASENT0249859) has an evenly arcuate propodeal profile. In his description of Camponotus jeanneli, Santschi (1914) noted it was related also to C. mombassae “of which this may be a race”. There are clear differences, however, between jeanneli and mombassae. The latter clearly is not a member of the subgenus Tanaemyrmex. Bolton (1995) also cites Emery (1896d: 372) as having mombassae as a subspecies of Camponotus kersteni, that too was a synonymic list without reasons for the status change. There is a similarity between this and Camponotus klugii Emery, 1895, which shares the concave profile to the propodeum but appears to lack the striations on the lateral propodeum and the erect hairs on the mesonotum and the propodeum (see CASENT0905451).

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

mombassae. Camponotus mombassae Forel, 1886f: 180 (s.) KENYA.
- Type-material: holotype minor worker.
- Type-locality: Kenya: Mombasa (J.M. Hildebrandt).
- Type-depository: MNHU.
- Status as species: Emery, 1892a: 119; Dalla Torre, 1893: 243; Emery, 1895a: 181.
- Subspecies of kersteni: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 237 (footnote); Emery, 1896d: 372 (in list).
- Junior synonym of acvapimensis: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 948; Emery, 1925b: 91; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 112.
- Status as species: Taylor & McGavin, 2020: 13.

Description

References

Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Emery, C. 1896j. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Mem. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna (5)5:363-382 (page 372, Subspecies of kersteni)
Forel, A. 1886g. Expériences et remarques critiques sur les sensations des insectes. Deuxième partie. Nouvelles et anciennes expériences. (Suite). Recl. Zool. Suisse 4: 145-240 (page 180, soldier described)
Menozzi, C. 1930b. Formiche della Somalia italiana meridionale. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 9: 76-130 (page 118, Junior synonym of acvapimensis)
Taylor, B., McGavin, G. 2020. Ants found on acacia of the genus Vachellia. Belgian Journal of Entomology 99: 1-47.
Wheeler, W. M. 1922j. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 711-1004 (page 948, Junior synonym of acvapimensis)