Camponotus aktaci

C. aktaci was collected from the Pinus nigra Arnold forest and orchards of Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb between 1050 m and 1550 m altitude.

Identification
Karaman and Aktaç (2013) - C. aktaci is similar in appearance to Camponotus libanicus but can be distinguished from the latter by the red mandibles, antennae, and legs, absence of erect hairs on the occipital corners and scape, scarce erect hairs on the mesosoma, petiole and gaster, and densely reticulate petiole that appears subopaque to dull. The new species is distinguished from Camponotus aegaeus by a bare scape, thicker petiole, and scarce erect hairs on the entire body.

Salata et al. (2019) - A member of the Camponotus kiesenwetteri species group. Head and mesosoma uniformly black, gaster and legs yellowish-brown; metanotal groove absent; propodeum without posterior protrusion; body densely punctate, appears dull; base of scape without extension; whole body bears short, thin, pale, sparse and erect setae, and short appressed microsetae; petiolar scale thick.

The mostly yellowish-brown gaster and legs and short and sparse setation of head, mesosoma and gaster distinctly separates this species from other taxa in the kiesenwetteri species group.

Distribution
Salata et al. (2019) - Turkey: Adana, Bingöl, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Malatya, Muğla.

Niche modeling showed highly suitable areas matching the species known distribution in Eastern Anatolian deciduous forests and in the central Anatolian steppe region where there are no current occurrence records. The westernmost specimen record, from Muğla Province, is projected as an area of low habitat suitability. Temperature seasonality contributed most to the distribution model.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Turkey.

Biology
See the kiesenwetteri species group page for information about the biology of C. aktaci.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus (Myrmentoma) aktaci Karaman, C. in Karaman, C. & Aktaç, 2013: 37, fig. 1 (s.w.) TURKEY.
 * Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 25; Salata, Loss, et al. 2019: 90.

Worker
Major. Head 1.03 times longer than wide, lateral sides of head narrowed in front of eyes; occiput convex behind eyes; scape 0.78 times head length and distinctly surpass occipital border, funiculus distinctly longer than scape; anterior margin of clypeus with a concave impression medially; mandibles with 5 black teeth, eyes situated on posterior half of head; mesosoma without metanotal groove, only metanotal suture present; anterior face of petiole rather convex, posterior face almost straight; whole head and mesosoma densely punctuated, dull; mandibles smooth, shiny; clypeus densely punctuated with mid-point more sculptured; petiole reticulate sculptured, appearing subopaque to dull; gaster weakly punctuate, dull; whole head with short appressed hairs, genae and sides of head with short, erect hairs; occipital corners without or with only 1–2 erect hairs; occiput with 5–6 erect hairs; scape bare; mandibles with subdedcumbent hairs; ventral surface of head with long, erect hairs; whole mesosoma with short, appressed pilosity; pronotum with 10–12, mesonotum with 8–10 long, erect hairs, anterior half of propodeum with short erect hairs; posterior half of propodeum with long, erect hairs; dorsum of petiole with 10–12 long, erect hairs; gaster with dense, appressed pilosity and with long, scarce, erect hairs; whole body black except reddish mandibles, scape, funiculus, and legs.

Minor. Head 1.16 times longer than wide, lateral sides of head narrowed in front of eyes; scape almost as long as head length; anterior face of petiole rather convex and posterior face slightly convex, rather thick, densely reticulate and weakly shiny; occipital corners bare; occiput with 2–4 long, erect hairs; pronotum with 4–8 short, erect hairs, and anterior part bare; mesonotum with 4–6 long, erect hairs; posterior half of propodeum with erect hairs; other features same as in the major worker.

Type Material
Holotype – worker: Turkey, Adana-Pozantı-Akcatekir Village (37°21'N, 34°49'E), 1300 m asl., 30 June 2001: 01/537 (Leg. N. Aktac) (TU). Paratypes: 14 workers, from same nest with holotype.

Etymology
The species is names in honor of Prof. N. Aktac, C. Karaman’s dissertation advisor.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Karaman C., and N. Aktaç. 2013. Descriptions of four new species of Camponotus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key for the worker caste of the Camponotus of Turkey. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 86(1): 36-56.
 * Salata S., A. C. Loss, C. Karaman, K. Kiran, and L. Borowiec. 2019. Review of the Camponotus kiesenwetteri group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Aegean with the description of a new species. ZooKeys 899: 85-107.