Camponotus irritans

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Malaysia. Oriental Region: India, Nicobar Island, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Biology
Sharma (1979) - A fairly common ant in the Indian desert. It is extraordinarily tolerant of heat. The following is from field observations (March 1978 to October 1979) in the Indian desert.

Camponatus impressus nests are commonly found on calcareous soils in sandy biotopes and also in stony and rocky areas. Workers were observed dropping excavated soil, in the form of wet pellets, outside the nest entrance. During rain-storms the mouth of the nest is plugged. If the water level rises to the mouth of the nest another opening is made at a higher-level nearby. Colonies may also move to a nearby higher area. Colonies are usually solitary but at favorable sites three or more nests colonies were observed three meters apart. The opening of the nests measured about 0.5 cm x 4.0 cm. Eggs and larvae were observed pre-monsoon season. i.e. late June.

This ant is an active predator. Camponotus compressus is its most common prey, followed by termites, small beetles (mostly Protaetia cuprea), caterpillars, and larvae of various insects. All foraging is done by single workers. A forager will quickly attack any prey it encounters and tries to drag it back to their nest. A worker can capture insects up to five times its size. If a forager finds an injured C. impressus worker they will also bring it back to the nest.

Camponatus impressus begin foraging after sunrise and become more active as the temperature rises. They tolerate up to 50 C. Most desert animals take shelter when the temperature rises above 35°C and solar radiation is above 40 cal/cm2 hr. Workers do not forage when solar radiation is below 30 cal/cm2 hr. During the winter, foragers are active during mid-day when temperature rises above 28°C or solar radiation above 40 cal/cm2 hr.

Babblers (Turdoides caudatus and T. striatus), crows (Corvus splendens and C. macrorhynchos), Calotes versicolor and Varanus spp. etc. were observed preying on the carpenter ant.

Nomenclature

 * . Formica irritans Smith, F. 1857a: 55 (w.) WEST MALAYSIA, BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sarawak).
 * [Note: this species is described a second time on p. 58 of same publication.]
 * Forel, 1913k: 125 (q.); Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 253 (q.m.).
 * Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 3;
 * combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1913k: 125;
 * combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 93.
 * Subspecies of maculatus: Forel, 1892j: 242; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Mayr, 1897: 432; Forel, 1901b: 27; Dahl, 1901: 17 (in key); Forel, 1909d: 229; Forel, 1911a: 48; Forel, 1911b: 210; Forel, 1912a: 75; Forel, 1912n: 62; Forel, 1913k: 125; Forel, 1915a: 37; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 108; Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 253; Teranishi, 1940: 60 (first entry).
 * Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 22; Mayr, 1863: 416; Roger, 1863b: 3; Smith, F. 1871a: 304; Mayr, 1879: 646; Forel, 1885b: 176; Emery, 1887a: 217; Dalla Torre, 1893: 236; Emery, 1893e: 196; Bingham, 1903: 353; Forel, 1905c: 26; Wheeler, W.M. 1909d: 337; Yano, 1910: 422; Emery, 1920b: 255; Emery, 1920c: 7, 12 (in key); Santschi, 1924c: 114; Emery, 1925b: 93; Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 57; Karavaiev, 1929c: 236; Stärcke, 1930: 376; Donisthorpe, 1932c: 444; Karavaiev, 1933a: 316; Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 39; Wheeler, W.M. 1937a: 24; Teranishi, 1940: 60 (second entry); Chapman & Capco, 1951: 246; Bolton, 1995b: 105; Lin & Wu, 2003: 61; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73; Terayama, 2009: 216; Mohanraj, et al. 2010: 6; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 37; Ran & Zhou, 2011: 68; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 28; McArthur, 2012: 209; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 24.
 * Senior synonym of agnatus: Bingham, 1903: 353; Emery, 1925b: 93; Bolton, 1995b: 105; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73.
 * [Note: Smith, F. 1857a: 58, and Donisthorpe, 1932c: 444, suggest that irritans may be the worker of diligens.]
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus carensis, carinifer, cliens, croceomaculatus, curtus, fatuus, hongkongensis, inferior, melanogaster, pallidus, procax, sumatranus, tinctus.
 * agnatus. Camponotus agnatus Roger, 1863a: 137 (s.w.) SRI LANKA.
 * Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 266.
 * Junior synonym of mitis: Forel, 1892j: 242.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 3; Mayr, 1863: 458; Smith, F. 1871a: 306; Dalla Torre, 1893: 221; Emery, 1896d: 371 (in list); Forel, 1914a: 266; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 253 (error).
 * Junior synonym of irritans: Bingham, 1903: 353; Emery, 1925b: 93; Bolton, 1995b: 84; Karmaly & Narendran, 2006: 73.

Formica irritans

Three worker syntypes in. One labelled “MAL 19.”, the other two “34 MALAC.” (both localities = West Malaysia). In addition there is a single worker labelled “SAR. 1” which is probably the one mentioned from “Borneo (Sarawak) in the original description. I have placed this specimen with the syntypes.

Smith described this species twice in the same publication (pp. 55 and 58), based on the same specimens.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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