Camponotus acvapimensis

Commonly found throughout open forest in tropical Africa (Collingwood et al. 2004). In Yemen, this species appears to be uncommon, only being collected by Sharaf et al. (2017) from one locality. Workers were found foraging on twigs of Croton socotranus Balf. f. (Euphorbiaceae). It seems likely that the species may be confined to higher elevation sites above 900 m. It was also recorded from Dixam Plateau 1000–1200 m (Collingwood et al. 2004).

Identification
Collingwood et al. (2004) - This is a dull black ant of moderate size. Hairs are present on the ventral head and on the vertex. Size variation in workers is low, the species appears to be monomorphic.

Distribution
This species was described from Ghana and with a broad distribution in the Savannahs and forests of the Afrotropical region (Collingwood 1985). It was recorded from Socotra, Yemen, by Collingwood et al. (2004) with no records known from the Arabian Peninsula. In Socotra, this species has a limited distribution and is confined to a few sites at higher elevations. (Sharaf et al., 2017)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Eritrea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Socotra Archipelago, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Association with Other Organisms


Aléné et al. (2011) observed a very unusual behaviour between the psyllid Diaphorina enderleini and Pheidole megacephala and Crematogaster striatula. While female psyllids are laying eggs on the lower leaf surface, workers of P. megacephala quickly pile up detritus combined with soil around and partly above the psyllids, resulting in a shelter-like structure. Those of C. striatula build carton shelters. During this procedure the adult female psyllids hardly move away from their eggs and larvae. The psyllid larvae are arranged in tight rows along the leaf veins, especially the principal one, and sometimes at the base of very young branches. The larvae are mostly sedentary and only move, slowly and steadily, when disturbed. They do not produce wax, as can be expected from the almost complete lack of the circumanal ring. Females and larvae excrete large drops of honeydew, which are immediately recovered by ants. In Camponotus acvapimensis and Myrmicaria opaciventris the workers did not build any structure around the psyllids but they were observed taking honeydew from them.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus acvapimensis Mayr, 1862: 664 (w.) GHANA.
 * [Misspelled as acwapimensis by Emery, 1877b: 364, Emery, 1896d: 372, and others; misspelled as akwapimensis by Forel, 1907e: 16, Forel, 1910c: 268, and others.]
 * Forel, 1915c: 348 (m.); Arnold, 1922: 656 (s.q.).
 * Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1913b: 340;
 * combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 91.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 2; Mayr, 1863: 397; Emery, 1877b: 365; Dalla Torre, 1893: 220; Mayr, 1895: 150; Emery, 1896d: 372 (in list); Emery, 1897e: 604; Emery, 1899a: 501; Emery, 1901e: 63; Forel, 1907a: 31; Forel, 1907e: 16; Forel, 1907g: 90; Mayr, 1907b: 20; Forel, 1910c: 268; Forel, 1910e: 451; Forel, 1911d: 371; Forel, 1911f: 281; Forel, 1913a: 145; Forel, 1913b: 340; Forel, 1913h: 355; Forel, 1914a: 266; Forel, 1914d: 253; Santschi, 1914d: 380; Forel, 1915c: 348; Forel, 1916: 442; Arnold, 1922: 656; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 236, 948; Emery, 1925b: 91; Menozzi, 1926a: 41; Menozzi, 1927f: 361; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Menozzi, 1933a: 111; Santschi, 1935a: 279; Santschi, 1937b: 104; Finzi, 1939a: 166; Menozzi, 1939c: 107; Santschi, 1939f: 167; Weber, 1943c: 336; Menozzi & Consani, 1952: 69; Bernard, 1953b: 261; Collingwood, 1985: 277; Bolton, 1995b: 84; Collingwood, et al. 2004: 488; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 448; Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 204; Borowiec, L. 2014: 24; Sharaf, Fisher, et al. 2017: 7; Madl, 2019: 13.
 * Senior synonym of flavosetosus: Brown, 1956a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
 * Senior synonym of mombassae: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 948; Emery, 1925b: 91; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
 * Senior synonym of poultoni: Brown, 1956a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
 * flavosetosus. Camponotus (Myrmopiromis) flavosetosus Donisthorpe, 1945d: 271 (s.w.) TOGO, GHANA.
 * Junior synonym of acvapimensis: Brown, 1956a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 100.
 * poultoni. Camponotus acwapimensis var. poultoni Forel, 1913c: 353 (w.) NIGERIA.
 * [Misspelled as pultoni by Santschi, 1914d: 380.]
 * Forel, 1915c: 348 (m.).
 * Subspecies of acvapimensis: Forel, 1913h: 355; Santschi, 1914d: 380; Forel, 1915c: 348; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 949; Emery, 1925b: 91; Menozzi, 1942: 180; Eidmann, 1944: 463.
 * Junior synonym of acvapimensis: Brown, 1956a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 118.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3: 5-16.
 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 3: 5-16.
 * Bernard F. 1953. La réserve naturelle intégrale du Mt Nimba. XI. Hyménoptères Formicidae. Mémoires de l'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire 19: 165-270.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1956. Some synonymies in the ant genus Camponotus. Psyche (Camb.) 63: 38-40.
 * Collingwood C. A. 1985. Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7: 230-302.
 * Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
 * Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405474
 * Collingwood, C. A. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insects: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2) Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 300-385.
 * Collingwood, C. A., H. Pohl, and R. Güsten. "The ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra archipelago." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 20 (2004): 473-495.
 * Collingwood, C. A. "Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7 (1985): 230-302.
 * Dejean A., F. Azemar, R. Cereghino, M. Leponce, B. Corbara, J. Orivel, and A. Compin. 2015. The dynamics of ant mosaics in tropical rainforests characterized using the SelfOrganizing Map algorithm. Insect Science doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.12208
 * Diame L., B. Taylor, R. Blatrix, J. F. Vayssieres, J. Y. Rey, I. Grechi, and K. Diarra. 2017. A preliminary checklist of the ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) fauna of Senegal. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 5(15): 1-16.
 * Dufour B. 1991. Place et importance des différentes espèces d'insectes dans l'écologie du CSSV (Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus) au Togo). Café Cacao Thé 35(3): 197-204.
 * Eidmann H. 1944. Die Ameisenfauna von Fernando Poo. 27. Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Westafrika-Expedition. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Ökol. Geogr. Tiere 76: 413-490.
 * Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte prima. Formiche provenienti dal Viaggio dei signori Antinori, Beccari e Issel nel Mar Rosso e nel paese dei Bogos. [concl.]." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 9 (1877): 363-381.
 * Ewuim S. C. 2007. Formicid fauna of contrasting tropical rainforest agro-ecosystem and their environmental implications. Animal Research International 4(2): 666-672.
 * Finzi B. 1939. Materiali zoologici dell'Eritrea raccolti da G. Müller durante la spedizione dell'Istituto Sieroterapico Milanese e conservati al Museo di Trieste. Parte III. Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Atti del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Trieste 14: 153-168.
 * Forel A. 1886. Études myrmécologiques en 1886. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 30: 131-215.
 * Forel A. 1907. Ameisen von Madagaskar, den Comoren und Ostafrika. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Reise in Ostafrika 2: 75-92.
 * Forel A. 1910. Note sur quelques fourmis d'Afrique. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 54: 421-458.
 * Forel A. 1911. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 47: 331-400.
 * Forel A. 1913. Fourmis de Nigérie. Revue Zoologique Africaine (Brussels) 2: 352-353.
 * Forel A. 1913. Quelques fourmis du Musée du Congo Belge (1). Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 57: 347-359.
 * Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Kolo Y. 2006. Evaluation rapide des fourmis de la région de Boké, Guinée. In Wright, H.E. and J. McCullough et M.S. Diallo. (eds). 2006. A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Boké Préfecture, Northwestern Guinea. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 41. Conservation International, Washington, DC.
 * Kone M., S. Konate, K. Yeo, P. K. Kouassi, and K. E. Linsenmair. 2012. Changes in ant communities along an age gradient of cocoa cultivation in the Oumé region, central Côte dIvoire. Entomological Science 15: 324339.
 * Kouakou L. M. M., K. Yeo, K. Ouattara, W. Dekoninck, T. Delsinne, and S. Konate. 2018. Investigating urban ant community (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in port cities and in major towns along the border in Côte d’Ivoire: a rapid assessment to detect potential introduced invasive ant species. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences 36(1): 5793-5811.
 * Kouakou L. M. M., W. Dekoninck, M. Kone, T. Delsinne, K. Yeo, K. Ouattara, and S. Konate. 2018. Diversity and distribution of introduced and potentially invasive ant species from the three main ecoregions of Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa). Belgian Journal of Zoology 148 (1): 83–103.
 * Levieux J. 1972. Etude du peuplement en fourmis terricoles d'une savane preforestiere de Cote d'Ivoire. Revue d'Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol 10(3): 381-428.
 * Levieux J., and T. Diomande. 1985. Evolution des peuplements de fourmis terricoles selon l'age de la végétation dans une foret de Cote d'Ivoire intacte ou soumise à l'action humaine. Insectes Sociaux 32(2): 128-139.
 * Madl M. 2019. Notes on the ant fauna of Eritrea (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae): type specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum Vienna (Austria) and a preliminary checklist. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 121: 9-18.
 * Majer J. D. 1976. The influence of ants and ant manipulation on the cocoa farm fauna. The journal of Applied Ecology 13(1): 157-175.
 * Medler J. T. 1980: Insects of Nigeria - Check list and bibliography. Mem. Amer. Ent. Inst. 30: i-vii, 1-919.
 * Menozzi C. 1926. Formiche dell'Africa centrale. Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana. 58: 36-41.
 * Menozzi C. 1927. Raccolte mirmecologiche dell'Africa orientale conservate nel Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria di Genova. Parte I. Formiche raccolte dal Marchese Saverio Patrizi nella Somalia italiana ed in alcune località dell'Africa orientale inglese. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria. 52: 356-362.
 * Menozzi C. 1930. Formiche della Somalia italiana meridionale. Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana. 9: 76-130.
 * Menozzi C. 1932. Raccolte mirmecologiche dell'Africa orientale conservate nel Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria di Genova. Parte II. Formiche dell'Uganda e delle isole Sesse raccolte dal Dr. E. Bayon. [part]. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria. 56: 93-112.
 * Menozzi C. 1939. Hymenoptera Formicidae. Missione Biologica nel Paese dei Borana. 3: 97-110.
 * Menozzi C. 1942. Formiche dell'isola Fernando Poo e del territorio del Rio Muni (Guinea Spagnola). 24. Beitrag zu den wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen der Forschungsreise H. Eidmann nach Spanisch-Guinea 1939 bis 1940. Zoologischer Anzeiger 140: 164-182.
 * Menozzi C., M. Consani. 1952. Missione biologica Sagan-Omo diretta dal Prof. E. Zavattari. Hymenoptera Formicidae. Rivista di Biologia Coloniale 11: 57-71.
 * Monks J., S. Ross, M. Geiser, J. De Prins, M. Sharaf, N. Wyatt, S. Al Rijeibi, and A. Polaszek. 2019. A preliminary survey of the insect fauna of the Hajar Mountain Range, Oman. Journal of Natural History 53(15-16): 939-963.
 * Samways M. J. 1990. Species temporal variability: epigaeic ant assemblages and management for abundance and scarcity. Oecologia 84: 482-490.
 * Santschi F. 1914. Formicides de l'Afrique occidentale et australe du voyage de Mr. le Professeur F. Silvestri. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 8: 309-385.
 * Santschi F. 1939. Résultats scientifiques des croisières du navire-école belge, "Mercator". XIV. Formicidae s. lt. Mémoires du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique. (2)15: 159-167.
 * Stephens S. S., P. B. Bosu, and M. R. Wager. 2016. Effect of overstory tree species diversity and composition on ground foraging ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in timber plantations in Ghana. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & management 12(1-2): 96-107.
 * Tadu Z., C. Djieto-Lordon, R. Babin, Yede, E. B. Messop-Youbi, and A. Fomena. 2013. Influence of insecticide treatment on ant diversity in tropical agroforestry system: some aspect of the recolonization process. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation 5(12): 832-844.
 * Taylor B. 1978. Ants of the Nigerian Forest Zone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). II. Formicinae, Dolichoderinae. Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria Research Bulletin 5: 1-57.
 * Taylor B., N. Agoinon, A. Sinzogan, A. Adandonon, Y. N'Da Kouagou, S. Bello, R. Wargui, F. Anato, I. Ouagoussounon, H. Houngbo, S. Tchibozo, R. Todjhounde, and J. F. Vayssieres. 2018. Records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with particular reference to the mango farm ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 8(1): 006–029.
 * Weber N. A. 1943. The ants of the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 93: 263-389.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. 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. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
 * Yeo K., S. Konate, S. Tiho, and S. K. Camara. 2011. Impacts of land use types on ant communities in a tropical forest margin (Oumé - Cote d'Ivoire). African Journal of Agricultural Research 6(2): 260-274.
 * Yeo K., T. Delsinne, S. Komate, L. L. Alonso, D. Aidara, and C. Peeters. 2016. Diversity and distribution of ant assemblages above and below ground in a West African forest–savannah mosaic (Lamto, Cote d’Ivoire). Insectes Sociaux DOI 10.1007/s00040-016-0527-6