Camponotus gombaki

A Weaver Ant that uses silk in its nest construction.

Identification
A member of the subgenus Karavaievia. This group of Camponotus species is known for their monomorphic workers and their nest weaving behavior.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia.

Biology
General details about the biology of species in this subgenus can be found on the Karavaievia webpage.

Unlike Camponotus texens, the pavilions of C. gombaki did not consist of a free-hanging pocket on the underside of the leaves, but lay either inside rolled leaves or between two or more leaves laid one over the other (Maschwitz et al. 1985).

Nomenclature

 *  gombaki. Camponotus (Karavaievia) gombaki Dumpert, 1986: 563, figs. 3, 4 (w.q.) WEST MALAYSIA. Dumpert, in Dumpert, Maschwitz, et al., 1995: 101 (m.).

Male
Dumpert (1995) - Allotype: TL 5.5, HL 0.88, HW 0.95, CI 108.1, SL 1.0, SI 95.2, PW 1.24, OD 0.43. Paratype: TL 5.3, HL 0.9, HW 0.9, CI 100, SL 0.93, SI 97 .4, PW 1.18, OD 0.43 (1 measured).

Head trapezoidal and nearly as long as wide (CI 108.1); occipital margin strongly convex with protruding ocelli and prominent convex eyes, extending to the upper end of the head sides. Anterior clypeal margin almost straight but with a slight, but broad median excision. Frontal carinae short and sinuate, reaching back to about mid1ength of head. Maximum diameter of the eyes 0.43 mm or about 0.5 HW. Scapes long, projecting beyond occipital margin of the head by about half their length. Pedicel expanded at its distal end and thicker than following flagellar segments. Propodeal profile rounded with convex dorsal and weakly convex descending part. Petiolar scale triangular in profile, with a broad base tapering to a ridge. Ridge with deep median excision.

Colour uniformly reddish brown, except the yellow mandibles, tarsi, and distal antennal flagella, the yellow brown clypeus and gastral stripes, and the blackish brown scutellum. Except the shining scutellum and the slightly shining gaster, cuticle opaque. Wings nearly white with yellow veins. Decumbent pubescence especially on gaster, but also on head and alitrunk; additional longer erect and suberect hair predominantly on head.

Type Material
Dumpert (1995) - Allotype male, Peninsular Malaysia, Gombak Valley. 25 km north of Kuala Lumpur, near the Ulu Gombak Field Studies Centre of the University of Malaya, Febr/3/1993, U. Maschwitz leg. (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel).

Paratype: 1 male with same data as holotype (used for SEM).