Camponotus gestroi

This is a thermophilous species, associated with warm mediterranean habitats, such like shrubs along roadsides, borders of deciduous and coniferous forests and pastures. Nests were located under stones or inside dry and empty stems of shrubs or large herbs (Borowiec & Salata, 2021). It is known to populate dry open areas, and build nests in soil, often under rocks (Radchenko 1997).

Identification
Ionescu-Hirsch (2009) - Radchenko (1997c) included this species in the C. gestroi species complex of the Camponotus lateralis species group. Other species in the complex are Camponotus rebeccae, Camponotus kurdistanicus, and Camponotus vogti. Camponotus gestroi differs from these species by having erect setae scattered all over the propodeal dorsum, as opposed to a single transversal row of erect setae restricted to the junction of the propodeal dorsum with declivity, and by a completely black body, whereas the pronotum at least is red in C. kurdistanicus, and the head and mesosoma are always paler than the gaster in C. rebeccae and C. vogti.

Major workers from Israel differ from western Mediterranean specimens by having the dorsum of the mesonotum more convex and distinctly posterior to the level of the propodeum, and by a distinct metanotal groove.

Distribution
Ionescu-Hirsch (2009) - Western Mediterranean and southern Europe to southern Transcaucasus (Radchenko, 1997c), Near East and Iran (Paknia et al., 2008).

This is a thermophilous species, uncommon but noted from all Greek provinces except Epirus (Borowiec et al., 2022).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus gestroi Emery, 1878b: 44, fig. (s.w.) ITALY (Sardinia).
 * Forel, 1894d: 4 (q.m.); Emery, 1916b: 160 (q.).
 * Combination in C. (Orthonotomyrmex): Forel, 1913d: 435;
 * combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1920b: 257.
 * Subspecies of marginata: Emery & Forel, 1879: 448.
 * Status as species: André, 1882a: 148 (in key); Forel, 1886e: clxvii; Forel, 1886f: 181; Dalla Torre, 1893: 232; Forel, 1894d: 4; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Emery, 1898a: 226; Krausse, 1912b: 166; Emery, 1914d: 159; Emery, 1916b: 226; Bondroit, 1918: 76; Müller, 1923b: 154 (in key); Emery, 1924c: 170; Emery, 1925b: 119; Donisthorpe, 1927a: 9; Bernard, 1945: 137; Ceballos, 1956: 312; Baroni Urbani, 1964b: 58; Cagniant, 1964: 92; Bernard, 1967: 343 (redescription); Cagniant, 1968a: 146; Cagniant, 1970c: 37; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 191; Collingwood, 1978: 91 (in key); Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 283 (in key); Collingwood, 1993b: 195; Arakelian, 1994: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 101; Poldi, et al. 1995: 7; Cagniant, 1996b: 92; Radchenko, 1996b: 1199 (in key); Radchenko, 1997b: 706; Collingwood & Prince, 1998: 24 (in key); Petrov, 2006: 108 (in key); Paknia, et al. 2008: 153; Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowsky, 2009: 479; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 39; Lapeva-Gjonova, et al. 2010: 43; Ionescu-Hirsch, 2010: 73; Legakis, 2011: 30; Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 188; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 475; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 6; Karaman, C. & Aktaç, 2013: 50 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 32 (see note in bibliography); Bračko, et al. 2014: 18; Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, 2014: 138; Lebas, et al. 2016: 134; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus ponariensis.
 * creticus. Camponotus gestroi st. creticus Forel, 1886e: clix, fig. 1 (w.) GREECE (Crete I.).
 * Combination in C. (Orthonotomyrmex): Forel, 1913d: 435;
 * combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925b: 119.
 * Subspecies of gestroi: Forel, 1889: 261; Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 232 (footnote); Emery, 1894j: 10; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Forel, 1910a: 23; Forel, 1911d: 356; Forel, 1913d: 435; Emery, 1914d: 159; Emery, 1915h: 2; Santschi, 1921a: 116; Müller, 1923b: 161; Emery, 1925b: 119; Karavaiev, 1926f: 69; Finzi, 1928c: 791; Finzi, 1930d: 318; Menozzi, 1933b: 82 (in key); Menozzi, 1936d: 303; Finzi, 1939c: 160; Pisarski, 1971b: 730; Hamann & Klemm, 1976: 677; Aktaç, 1977: 126; Legakis, 2011: 29.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 227; Kugler, J. 1988: 259; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43.
 * Junior synonym of gestroi: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Arakelian, 1994: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 94; Radchenko, 1997b: 706; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 6; Seifert, 2019: 16.

Taxonomic Notes
Seifert (2019): Camponotus gestroi: This taxon has been described from Sardinia. The type specimen depicted in antweb.org under CASENT0905794 shows a very weak or absent metanotal depression, a convex overall dorsal profile line of mesosoma, and the angle between the dorsal plane and declivity of propodeum is about 120°.

Seifert (2019): Camponotus gestroi creticus: This taxon has been described from Crete. The type specimen depicted in antweb.org under CASENT0910430 shows a very weak or absent metanotal depression, a convex overall dorsal profile line of mesosoma, and the angle between the dorsal plane and declivity of propodeum is about 120°. A synonymy with C. gestroi appears reasonable at the first impression.

Worker
Ionescu-Hirsch (2009) - TL = 4.6–8.3, HL = 1.09–2.01, HW = 0.91–1.91, EL = 0.31–0.39, SL = 1.11–1.52, ML = 1.58–2.58, PW = 0.74–1.41, mTbL = 0.90–1.37, hTbL = 1.19–1.88 (n = 15).

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