Camponotus thadeus

Camponotus thadeus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Species:	C. thadeus
Binomial name
	Camponotus thadeus; Shattuck, 2005 Specimen labels

The following observations were made by Angela Shuetrim (pers. comm.) while collecting the type series on Mt. Finnigan, Queensland: “These ants are arboreal based on the nest I found. Nests are very difficult to locate but I was lucky enough to find one in a hollow cavity in a tree. The locality was in rainforest at high elevation, the lowest elevation where I found them being approximately 880m, and I never came across them in lowland rainforest areas. The vegetation changes frequently as you walk up the mountain and when you get to the right spot, and weather conditions are good, they can be found in high numbers running up trees along trails, and scattered across the rainforest floor.” (Shattuck 2005)

Identification

Shattuck (2005) - Minor. Dorsum of mesosoma with abundant, bright yellow enlarged hairs; metapleural gland present. The opening to the gland is large and highly visible, in fact as large as any known in the ants.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -15.78333333° to -15.88333333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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

Shattuck 2005. Figures 25–26. C. thadeus new species, minor worker. Fig. 25, enlarged hairs on dorsum of gaster; Fig. 26, lateral view of propodeum showing propodeal spiracle and metapleural gland opening.

Shattuck (2005) - This species is unusual in that it is only the second species of Camponotus known to have a metapleural gland, the other being the South-east Asian Camponotus gigas (=Dinomyrmex gigas). The opening to the gland is large and highly visible, in fact as large as any known in the ants. This is especially noteworthy as none of the other species examined here show any indication of a metapleural gland being present. Also, thadeus is morphologically distinct from gigas, sharing few characters with it and with little indication that they are closely related. It is therefore highly likely that this gland has reappeared independently in these two taxa.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

thadeus. Camponotus thadeus Shattuck, 2005: 16, figs. 22-26 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
- Type-material: holotype minor worker, 11 paratype minor workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: Queensland, Mt Finnigan summit, via Helenvale, 15°49’S, 145°17’E, 16.v.2004 (A.J. Shuetrim & M. Guzik); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, LACM, MCZC (paratypes).
- Status as species: McArthur, 2007a: 301; Shattuck & Janda, 2009: 252 (in key); McArthur, 2014: 136.
- Distribution: Australia.

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

Description

Worker

Minor. (n=4): CI 84–92, HL 1.86–2.29 mm, HW 1.57–2.08 mm, ML 3.04–3.63 mm, MTL 2.43–2.78 mm, SI 162–194, SL 2.61–2.94 mm.

Minor. Posterolateral surface of head rounding gradually from the dorsal to lateral surfaces, the lateral surface weakly concave in smaller workers, convex in larger workers. Petiolar node forming a sharp angle dorsally and with a slight anterior tilt. Enlarged bright yellow hairs abundant on pronotum (except extreme anterior edge), mesonotum and gaster, those on the propodeum limited to near the angle; appressed pubescence present but sparse. Colour dark red-black to black.

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Mt. Finnigan summit via Helenvale, Queensland, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 5 workers, Mt. Finnigan summit via Helenvale, Queensland, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 2 workers, Mt. Finnigan summit via Helenvale, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 2 workers, Mt. Finnigan summit via Helenvale, Queensland, Australia, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
Paratype, 2 workers, Mt. Finnigan summit via Helenvale, Queensland, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

References

Shattuck, S.O. 2005. Review of the Camponotus aureopilus species-group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), including a second Camponotus with a metapleural gland. Zootaxa. 903:1-20.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Shattuck S. O. 2005. Review of the Camponotus aureopilus species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), including a second Camponotus with a metapleural gland. Zootaxa 930: 1-20.