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Camponotus tapia
| Camponotus tapia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Camponotini |
| Genus: | Camponotus |
| Subgenus: | Myrmosaga |
| Species: | C. tapia |
| Binomial name | |
| Camponotus tapia Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022
| |
The distribution of C. tapia is limited to the high central plateau of Madagascar. The species inhabits grassland, savannah woodland, shrubland, and Uapaca woodland in the region. Across these areas, this species nests most often under stones and in rotting tree stumps, and forages mainly on the ground.
Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2022) - With head in full-face view, lateral margins of head anterior to eye level parallel, lacking erect hairs; clypeus with distinct anterolateral corner; in oblique profile, four or more pairs of erect hairs arranged successively from level of anterior ocular margin towards posterior cephalic margin; in profile, junction of propodeal dorsum to declivity surface broadly angulate; petiole nodelike and not anteroposteriorly compressed.
See Camponotus atimo for further details.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- tapia. Camponotus tapia Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 171, figs. 15B, 25A, 29B, 30B, 75 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker (caste not indicated), 1 paratype major worker, 5 paratype minor workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: Fianarantsoa, Forêt d’Atsirakambiaty, 7.6 km. 285° WNW Itremo, -20.59333, 46.56333, 1550 m., 22-26.i.2003, BLF07214 (B.L. Fisher, C.E. Griswold, et al.); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); BMNH, CASC, MHNG, MSNG, PBZT (paratypes).
- 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
Morphological measurements: see Appendix 1 and Ratios of morphometric data for majors and minors
Minor In full-face view, head sides anterior to level of eye approximately parallel, strongly converging to form a short area posterior to level of eye; eye protruding and large (EL/CS: 0.29±0.01; 0.28–0.31), breaking lateral cephalic margin, level of its posterior margin located at ca. posterior 1/4 of head (PoOc/CL: 0.24±0.01; 0.23–0.25); frontal carinae close to each other, their distance equal to or smaller than their smallest distance to the eye (FR/CS: 0.25±0.01; 0.23–0.27); clypeus with anterolateral angle, its anteromedian margin broadly triangular or convex; mandible with six teeth, its two apical teeth distantly spaced; antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.61±0.08; 1.48–1.71). Promesonotum weakly convex, mesopropodeum almost flat; mesonotum flat immediately anterior to metanotal groove; metanotal groove weakly visible; propodeal dorsum anteriorly slightly convex and posteriorly flat, joining declivity at a blunt angle; propodeal declivity 1/3 length of dorsum. Petiole nodiform, its dorsal margin rounding to anterior face, posterior face higher than anterior; femur of hind leg rounded axially, without twist basally.
First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; erect hairs on lateral margin of head absent; posterior margin of head with two erect hairs; with head in profile, four pairs of erect hairs arranged from level of anterior margin of eye to posterior cephalic margin; antennal scape covered only with appressed hairs; pronotum with a pair of erect hairs; posterodorsal angle of propodeum with 2–4 erect hairs.
Major Differing from minor worker in the following characters: enlarged head (CS: 3.20±0.21; 2.84–3.38; CWb/CL: 0.99±0.03; 0.94–1.01) with noticeably concave posterior margin; apical 1/3 of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; robust mesosoma, propodeal dorsum convex immediately posterior to metanotum, propodeal dorsum < 2 × as long as height of declivity, rounded at junction; petiolar node tapering dorsally.
Type Material
- Holotype worker. MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa: Forêt d’Atsirakambiaty, 7.6 km 285° WNW Itremo, -20.59333, 46.56333, 1550 m, grassland, under stone, 22–26 Jan 2003 (Fisher, Griswold et al.) collection code: BLF07214, specimen code: CASENT0493939 (CAS).
- Paratypes. 5 minor workers and 1 major worker with same data as holotype but respectively with specimen codes: CASENT0826114, CASENT0826115, CASENT0493938, CASENT0837568, CASENT0837569, CASENT0493942 (NHMUK, MHNG, MSNG, PBZT, CAS).
Etymology
The species name tapia is non-Latin singular noun used in apposition and refers to the Malagasy name for Uapaca in reference to the type of habitat where the ant was most frequently found.