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Camponotus roeseli
| Camponotus roeseli | |
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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. roeseli |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus roeseli Forel, 1910
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| Synonyms | |
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As an endemic and widespread species of Madagascar, C. roeseli generally occurs in the western portion of the island in areas ranging from littoral and rainforest habitats in the north to dry forest areas in the west-central region through spiny forest and thicket in the south. This species is also known to occupy savannah, Uapaca woodland, montane rainforests, and human-modified habitats of the south-central high plateau. Foraging behavior is mostly carried out on the ground surface and infrequently on low vegetation, while nests are located mainly in rotten logs, in the ground, and under stones, and rarely in rotting tree stumps and under root mat-litter on rocks.
Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - In full-face view, lateral cephalic margins converging posteriorly towards eye level, posterior to eye level covered with erect hairs; two apical teeth of mandible closely spaced; head and gaster reddish black and mesosoma reddish orange or integument entirely reddish black.
Camponotus roeseli might be confused with Camponotus daraina because of the presence of erect hairs on the lateral margin of the head posterior to the eye level; however, the latter species can be distinguished by the reddish orange color of the entire body.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -17.8802° to -18.0264°.
| 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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| Paralectotype of Camponotus roeseli. Worker. Specimen code casent0101788. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
   
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| Holotype of Camponotus maculatus legionarium. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101413. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MNHN, Paris, France. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- roeseli. Camponotus roeseli Forel, 1910a: 20 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: lectotype major worker (by designation of Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 151), 1 paralectotype major worker.
- [Note: original description also includes minor workers.]
- Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: N Madagascar, Montagne de l’Ambre (Rolle); paralectotype with same data.
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 267;
- combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 89;
- combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 151.
- Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1042; Emery, 1925b: 89; Bolton, 1995b: 120; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 151 (redescription).
- Senior synonym of legionarium: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 151.
- Distribution: Madagascar.
- legionarium. Camponotus maculatus st. legionarium Santschi, 1911i: 283 (s.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype major worker.
- Type-locality: Madagascar: Diego Suarez, 1903 (Légion Etrangère).
- Type-depository: MNHN.
- Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 89.
- Subspecies of maculatus: Emery, 1920c: 5; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1041; Emery, 1925b: 89.
- Status as species: Baroni Urbani, 1972: 132; Bolton, 1995b: 108.
- Junior synonym of roeseli: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 151.
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 In full-face view, lateral margins slightly converging progressively towards level of anterior border of eye, strongly converging to a short posterior margin; eye large and broadly convex (EL/CS: 0.27±0.01; 0.25–0.29), breaking lateral cephalic margin, level of its posterior margin located at ca. posterior 1/3 of head (PoOc/CL: 0.28±0.01; 0.26–0.29); frontal carinae medially diverging (FR/CS: 0.24±0.01; 0.23–0.27), posteriorly parallel; clypeus without well-defined anterolateral angle, its anteromedian margin broadly convex, with anterolateral angle and anteromedian margin medially slightly concave; mandible with two apical teeth closely placed; antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.70±0.08; 1.50–1.81). Pronotum and anterior section of mesonotum weakly convex, posterior portion of mesonotum flat immediately anterior to a barely visible metanotal groove; propodeal dorsum anteriorly convex and posteriorly flat, rounding to declivity; propodeal dorsum ca. 3 × as long as declivity. Petiolar node approximately conical or with short anterior face and posteriorly inclined dorsal margin; femur of hind leg axially rounded, not twisted basally.
First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; head with numerous erect hairs on lateral margin, more than six erect hairs present near its posterior margin; antennal scape covered in suberect hairs inclined at ca. 30°; promesonotum, posterior portion of propodeum, and higher level of declivity covered with more or less long, erect hairs.
Major With characteristics of minor worker except: broader head (CS: 14.07±0.19; 3.81–4.40; CWb/CL: 0.89±0.04; 0.85–0.96), apical 1/3 of antennal scape extending beyond posterior cephalic margin; two apical teeth of mandible normally spaced, usually area ranging from third to basal teeth of mandible divided into two teeth or denticles; mesosoma very robust, promesonotum and metanotum forming even convexity, propodeal dorsum forming separate convexity and rounding to a short declivity surface; petiolar node more flattened anteroposteriorly. Hairs numerous and shorter on body dorsum.
Type Material
Camponotus roeseli
- Syntype major workers, Madagascar, Montagne d’Ambre (Rolle); 1 syntype major worker designated as lectotype, by Rakotonirina & Fisher (2022), AntWeb CASENT0101602 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
- Paralectotype major worker of same data as lectotype but with specimen code: CASENT0101788 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
Camponotus maculatus legionarium
- Holotype (by monotypy) major worker, Madagascar, Diego Suarez (Légion Étrangère 1903) AntWeb CASENT0101413 (MNHN) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
Taxonomic Notes
The species name C. roeseli and the subspecies name C. maculatus legionarium were created and described by Forel (1910) and Santschi (1911b), respectively, based on major worker specimens. However, observations of the type specimens of the species and subspecies reveal no robust morphological characters to distinguish them. Samples of the minor workers for C. roeseli show striking morphological variation along the western dry forest of Madagascar, especially in body coloration that ranges from dark brown to black through the head; brown gaster; and mesosoma, petiolar node, and the basal portion of the legs yellowish orange. This indicates morphological variation of major workers within the species is likely. Therefore, C. maculatus legionarium was synonymized under C. roeseli by Rakotonirina & Fisher (2022).
References
- Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 89, Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex))
- Forel, A. 1910a. Glanures myrmécologiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 54: 6-32 (page 20, soldier, worker described)
- Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 267, Combination in C. (Myrmoturba))
- 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.
- 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