Camponotus mahafaly

Camponotus mahafaly is geographically restricted to dry forest and spiny bush and forest habitats of the southwest and south of Madagascar (Fig. 66D). Nest sites are generally located in rotten logs, and foraging occurs on the surface of the ground.

Identification
With head in full-face view, lateral margins of head anterior to eye level parallel and lacking erect hairs, lateral and anteromedian clypeal margins continuously forming broad convexity; scape without erect hairs; mesosoma long and low; body color yellowish to brown.

Camponotus mahafaly might be confounded with Camponotus cemeryi because the petiole of both species is not nodelike, but in the latter species the antennal scape is covered with suberect hairs and the mesosoma is generally short and high, with a dorsal outline that is strongly convex.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus mahafaly Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 127, figs. 15A, 16B, 20A, 66 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Type Material

 * Holotype worker. MADAGASCAR: Province Toliara: Androy Region, District of Tsihombe, 74 km S of Tsihombe, Reserve Speciale Cap Ste Marie, -25.58767, 45.163, 36 m, spiny bush, Malaise trap, 30 Apr–11 May 2003, (Rin’ha, Mike) CASENT0115206 (CAS).
 * Paratypes. 2 minor workers of same data as holotype but respectively with collection codes: MG-23-34 and MG-23-33 and specimen codes: CASENT0115287 and CASENT0115718 (CAS).