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Camponotus sholensis
| Camponotus sholensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Species: | C. sholensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus sholensis Dhadwal & Bharti, 2023 | |
Workers of C. sholensis were collected from the forest area of Pampadum Shola forest, India, where a nest was found inside the wooden log covered with soil and grass. Workers started coming out after creating a disturbance as no worker had seen around the wooden log before it was disturbed or lifted. The region is characterized by thick evergreen forest and has an average daily temperature of 28°C.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Dhadwal & Bharti (2023) -The distinguishing characteristics of C. sholensis are as follows:
- the head is as long as broad, mesosoma is broad and compact
- petiole node is thin and anteriorly convex but flat posteriorly
- tibiae are cylindrical and lack spines beneath them
- the body is black and entirely microreticulate, gleaming and densely pilose, covered with long erect or suberect setae
This species resembles Camponotus lamarckii and can be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics:
- C. sholensis (major worker)
- the head is as long as broad
- the clypeal margin is straight
- the tibiae are cylindrical
- the vertex of the head has a few short erect or suberect hair and a row of hair present beneath the head
- the mesosoma and the gaster are covered with few standing hairs
- C. lamarckii (major worker)
- the head is longer than broad
- the clypeal margin is medially carinate
- the tibiae of the legs are compressed
- the body is covered with very short and appressed pubescence
- the mesosoma and the gaster are densely covered with yellow, erect, long setae
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 10.12° to 10.12°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Dhadwal & Bharti, 2023
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India (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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- sholensis. Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) sholensis Dhadwal & Bharti, 2023d: 5, figs. 3-5 (s.w.q.) INDIA (Kerala).
- Type-material: holotype major worker, 15 paratype major and minor workers, 2 paratype queens.
- Type-locality: holotype India: Kerala, Pampadum Shola Nat. Park, 10.1266°N, 77.2581°E, 1700 m., 25.i.2017 (T. Dhadwal); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depository: PUAC.
- Distribution: India.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Major Holotype HL 2.41; HW 2.05; EL 0.43; SL 2.14; PW 1.34; WL 2.86; MTL 1.55; HTL 2.29; PL 0.58; PH 0.69; GL 3.05; TL 8.90; CI 85; SI 99; REL 17; PrI 65.
Paratypes (n = 5) - HL 2.21–2.62; HW 2.13–2.58; EL 0.41–0.45; SL 2.09–2.17; PW 1.43–1.47; WL 2.66–2.95; MTL 1.47–1.80; HTL 2.25–2.37; PL 0.57–0.61; PH 0.65–0.77; GL 2.25–3.36; TL 7.69–9.54; CI 96–98; SI 84–98;REL 17–18; PrI 56–67.
Habitus. In full-face view, head as long as broad (CI 96–98), posterior margin almost straight and shallowly concave in the middle, lateral sides of the head converging anteriorly; anterior margin of the clypeus virtually straight and feebly carinate; mandibles elongate, triangular and masticatory margin with 7 teeth; eyes are small, placed distinctly above the mid-length of the head; antennae short and 12-segmented; scape short (SI 166–172), almost reaching the posterior margin of the head. In dorsal view, mesosoma broad and compact, pronotum anteriorly narrow (PrI 56–67); pro mesonotal suture and metanotal groove distinct; mesosoma form a single convexity with mesonotum somewhat higher than the pronotum and propodeum in lateral view; propodeal declivity almost straight; propodeal spiracle is oval in shape and placed below the margin of propodeal declivity; petiole node thin, anteriorly convex and flat posteriorly; tibiae cylindrical; gaster elongated.
Sculpture. Head and mesosoma microreticulate and entire body gleaming; with gaster silky smooth.
Pilosity and pubescence. A few short erect or suberect hairs on the vertex of the head and a row of hair present on the ventral region of the head; clypeal margin with a row of setae, a few short setae present on the mandibles; pronotum and mesonotum coated with a few long erect setae; propodeum, petiole and gaster with a few standing hairs; hind tibia densely setose, without a row of spiny bristles on ventral margins in addition to 3–4 suberect setae close to the apical spurs.
Colouration. Head, mesosoma and gaster are black; legs reddish brown to dark brown, with a paler trochanter and tarsi.
Minor Paratypes (n = 5) - HL 1.34–1.51; HW 0.90–1.11; EL 0.40–0.41; SL 1.55–1.85; PW 1.02–1.21; WL 1.76–2.17; MTL 1.22–1.43; HTL 1.51–1.84; PL 0.45–0.49; PH 0.57–0.65; GL 1.27–1.96; TL 4.82–6.13; CI 67–73; SI 166– 172; REL 27–29; PrI 109–113.
With characteristics of a major worker except: comparatively smaller head, longer than broad (CI 67–73), rectangular in outline with posterior margin rounded and lateral sides are almost parallel; masticatory margin of mandibles with 6 teeth; scape distinctly long (SI 166–172) surpass posterior margin of head by more than half of its length; mesosoma short and form a smooth curve; legs of minor workers lighter in colour.
Queen
Paratypes (n = 2) - HL 2.35–2.41; HW 2.10–2.17; EL 0.60–0.62; SL 1.98–2.23; WL 3.90–3.96; MTL 1.92–1.95; HTL 2.66–2.72; PL 0.80–0.86; PH 1.24–1.30; GL 4.52–4.65; TL 11.57–11.88; CI 89–90; SI 94–102; REL 25–25.
Similar to the major worker with few modifications depicting the caste and the following differences: head smaller (CI 89–90) with lateral edges subparallel and posterior margin convex; cephalic dorsum with 3 prominent ocelli; mandibles with 7 teeth; parapsidal lines present; petiolar dorsum strongly emarginate; propodeal dorsum forming a right angle with propodeal declivity.
Type Material
- Holotype: INDIA • major worker; Kerala, Pampadum Shola National Park; 10.1266° N, 77.2581° E; elev. 1700 m; 25 Jan. 2017; T. Dhadwal leg.; hand picking method; PUAC T27.
- Paratypes: INDIA • 15 workers, 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; PUAC T30 to T46.
Etymology
The species has been named after the Shola National Park.