Camponotus japonicus

Mizuno et al. (2018) studied interactions between this ant and the myrmecophytic butterly Lampides argyrognomon.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines. Palaearctic Region: China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation.

Biology
Mizuno et al (2018) - Myrmecophilous lycaenid caterpillars have close relationships with their ant hosts by means of various myrmecophilous organs, most of which are usually lost after pupation. However, some lycaenid species, including Lycaeides argyrognomon, maintain such relationships at the pupal stage and go so far as to pupate in ant nests. This invokes the hypothesis that these myrmecophilous lycaenid pupae might have alternative tactics to retain myrmecophilous interactions without ant attacks. Camponotus japonicus, Formica japonica, and Lasius japonicus exhibited distinctive aggressive behaviors against ant cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) from different colonies of the same species but few attacks against the crude extract of L. argyrognomon pupae. GC-MS analysis revealed that the pupal cuticular lipids contain not only CHCs but also several long-chained aliphatic aldehydes, including 1-octacosanal and 1-triacontanal, which are absent from larval cuticular lipids. With the addition of synthesized 1-octacosanal and 1-triacontanal to ant CHCs from different colonies of the same species, the aggressive behavior decreased in C. japonicus, and the duration of physical contact shortened in C. japonicus and F. japonica. However, the behavior of L. japonicus remained unaffected after the addition of those aldehydes. These results suggest that the pupae-specific cuticular aldehydes of L. argyrognomon suppress ant aggression even after the loss of certain myrmecophilous organs, though the effects varied depending on the attending ant species. Since L. argyrognomon occasionally pupate in the nests of C. japonicus in the field, the lycaenids might be better adapted to associations with C. japonicus than with the other two ant species studied.

Nomenclature

 *  japonicus. Camponotus japonicus Mayr, 1866b: 885 (w.) JAPAN. Forel, 1904b: 380 (m.); Wheeler, W.M. 1906c: 324 (s.q.); Imai & Kubota, 1972: 195 (k.). Combination in C. (Camponotus): Forel, 1914a: 266. Subspecies of pennsylvanicus: Forel, 1879a: 56; Forel, 1904b: 380; Ruzsky, 1905b: 239; of herculeanus: Emery, 1908a: 186; Wheeler, W.M. 1909d: 343; Wheeler, W.M. 1921c: 544; Ruzsky, 1925b: 42; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929a: 17; Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36. Status as species: Bingham, 1903: 390; Santschi, 1920h: 255; Emery, 1925b: 73; Santschi, 1925f: 88; Ruzsky, 1926: 108; Wheeler, W.M. 1927e: 3; Wheeler, W.M. 1928d: 116; Karavaiev, 1929b: 212; Stitz, 1934: 4; Yasumatsu & Brown, 1957: 49; Arnol'di, 1967: 1826; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 169. Senior synonym of miltotus, sanguinea, wui: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36; of aterrimus (and its junior synonym manczshuricus): Radchenko, 1997a: 556.
 * aterrimus. Camponotus pennsylvanicus var. aterrimus Emery, 1895k: 478 (footnote) (w.q.) RUSSIA. Ruzsky, 1905b: 238 (m.); Karavaiev, 1912b: 594 (s.). Combination in C. (Camponotus): Emery, 1925b: 73. Subspecies of herculeanus: Ruzsky, 1915a: 419. Raised to species: Ruzsky, 1926: 108. Subspecies of japonicus: Santschi, 1925f: 88; Wheeler, W.M. 1929f: 9; Arnol'di, 1967: 1827; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 170. Senior synonym of manczshuricus: Arnol'di, 1967: 1827. Junior synonym of japonicus: Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929a: 17; Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36; Radchenko, 1997a: 556.
 * manczshuricus. Camponotus (Camponotus) japonicus var. manczshuricus Emery, 1925b: 73 (w.) RUSSIA. [First available use of Camponotus herculeanus subsp. japonicus var. manczshuricus Ruzsky, 1915a: 420; unavailable name.] Subspecies of japonicus: Ruzsky, 1926: 109. Junior synonym of herculeanus: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1957: 47; of aterrimus: Arnol'di, 1967: 1827.
 * miltotus. Camponotus japonicus var. miltotus Wheeler, W.M. 1929f: 9 (s.) CHINA. Junior synonym of japonicus: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36.
 * sanguinea. Camponotus (Camponotus) japonicus var. sanguinea Karavaiev, 1929b: 212 (w.q.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of japonicus: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36.
 * wui. Camponotus japonicus subsp. wui Wheeler, W.M. 1929f: 9 (w.) CHINA. Junior synonym of japonicus: Yasumatsu & Brown, 1951: 36.

'Camponotus japonicus'' Mayr. var. sanguinea''' Karawajew, 1929b: 212, w, q.

Type locality(-ies): “Borovnitschi, Sutshan-Rayon im Ussurigebiet, 27.VIII.1926 (Nr. 3109, 3110), P. Verestshak, zahlreiche Soldaten und ww aus der Kolonie.—Strand der Bucht Kosmina in der grösseren Buht Amerika bei Vladivostok, 12.V.1900 (Nr. 3789), P. Schmidt, Soldaten, ww und geflügelte und flügellose qq.—Sivakovka am See Chanka, Ussurigebiet, V.1927 (Nr. 3549), A. Kistjakovskij, 2 Soldaten.—Chailar, Mandshurei (Nr. 3639), Coll. Karavajevi, 1 Soldat.—Zwischen Tshyktenj und Tshaansa, Nordkorea, 3.VIII.1900 (Nr. 3589), P. Schmidt, 1 Soldat”.

Original Karawajew label(-s): “Camponotus (Camponotus) / japonicus Mayr / Бровничи Сучан. р. Примор. об. / П. Верещак. 3109 и др. [Brovnichi Suchan Distr. Primorsky Prov. / P. Vereschak. Nr. 3109 et al.]”.

Material: SYNTYPES, 13 w (newly mounted, IN 314/6/1), 232 w, 10 pupae (in alcohol, IN 314/BAMS1/Karaw47–49).

Notes. Despite the original Karawajew label identifying this taxon as Camponotus japonicus, the locality and collection numbers correspond to the data for the type specimens of var. sanguinea (Karawajew 1929b). Moreover, in the Karawajew collection at SIZK there is abundant material with the same labels and an additional original Karawajew label “Camponotus (Camponotus) japonicus Mayr v. sanguinea Karawajew typus”.