Camponotus paracolobopsis

This species is currently only known from Borneo (Brunei, North Kalimantan, Sarawak). One colony was discovered in an artificial nest close to the “visitor canopy walkway” in the Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei. The nest contained only specimens of C. paracolobopsis and may have been a complete colony (or fragment thereof) with minor workers, major workers, gynes and brood (see notes on Camponotus inquilinus).

Identification
Minor worker: Black species with brown scape and base of funiculus; only on tergites 3–4 with very narrow, translucent hind margins. Long white standing setae abundant all over dorsum. Basal margin of clypeus with distinct concavity. Flagellum of normal length. Pronotum with distinct sculpture, but somewhat shiny. Dorsal outline of mesonotum and propodeum slightly convex, propodeum moderately downcurved. Petiolar node high and narrow in lateral aspect.

Major worker: Colour as in minor, except anterior margin of head medium to yellowish brown; anterior part of frons and mandibles reddish brown. Head with scattered medium-sized punctures, denser on genae and clypeus. Clypeus with about 14–16 groove-like punctures, base with narrow medial impression. Genae with some comparatively large punctures.

Among the (almost) entirely black species, C. paracolobopsis has the major workers with the most strongly sculptured head (major worker of Camponotus paraleonardi). Camponotus paraleonardi differs by the golden hair on mesosoma and gaster, Camponotus kutteri by distinct pale hind margins of gaster tergites. Camponotus benguetensis from the Philippines is most similar; see the comparative notes of this species.

The paratype series from Kalimantan differs from the Brunei series by very dark antennae and, in major workers, by less obvious grooves on clypeus and genae between the very pronounced microsculpture, but is regarded as conspecific. These specimens resemble Camponotus benguetensis, but differ in the structures at clypeus base.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Brunei Darussalam.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus (Myrmamblys) paracolobopsis Zettel & Yamane, in Zettel, Balàka, et al. 2018: 157, figs. 47-56 (s.w.q.) BORNEO (Brunei, East Malaysia: Sarawak, Indonesia: Kalimantan).

Worker
Minor

Holotype: HW 1.46; HL 1.54; SL 1.48; SW 0.13; EL 0.50; ML 2.09; HaL 0.33; FeL 1.86; CI 94; SI 101; EI 35; FeI 128. Ward’s Indices: ASM/HWex 0.28; ASM/CLW 0.58; CLW/CLL 1.43. Paratypes (n = 7): HW 1.35–1.55; HL 1.43–1.63; SL 1.40–1.50; SW 0.15–0.16; EL 0.46–0.54; ML 2.02–2.22; HaL 0.27–0.44; FeL 1.76–1.86; CI 89–98; SI 94–107; EI 33–36; FeI 115–137. Ward’s Indices: ASM/HWex 0.26–0.28; ASM/CLW 0.55–0.65; CLW/CLL 1.15–1.38.

Structures: Head roundish, uniformly reticulated and matt dorsally and laterally, ventrally with slightly reduced microsculpture and somewhat shiny. Lateral outline of eye and head   contiguous. Vertex moderately raised, not domed. Frons with hardly discernable shiny midline. Clypeus with distinct emargination at middle of basal margin, with distal margin slightly protruded in middle, with very narrow often reduced shiny midline. Mandible scarcely punctured, with five teeth. Mesosoma slender and low, entirely reticulated, but with a silky shimmer; dorsal outline convex, on pronotum and propodeum moderately convex, without distinct indentions. Petiolar node posteriorly very high, its anterior and posterior face parallel, apex strongly obliquely truncated. Gaster tergites entirely with dense reticulation, including very narrow translucent margins on tergites 3–4. Pilosity: White long standing setae abundant all over dorsum, longest on mesonotum, propodeum, gaster tergites 1 and 4. Subdecumbent pubescence short, thin, whitish, extremely sparse and inconspicuous on head, dense and distinct on mesosoma, petiole, and gaster. Colour: Trunk, mandibles, palpi, and legs black. Antenna black, except larger part of scape and basis of funicular segments 1–4(5) brown or orange brown. Tergites 3–4 with very narrow translucent margins.

Major

Paratypes (n = 6): HW 1.76–2.02; HL 2.00–2.28; SL 1.22–1.35; SW 0.17–0.23; EL 0.54–0.58; ML 2.35–2.67; HaL 0.28–0.33; FeL 1.60–1.76; CI 85–90; SI 67–70; EI 28–33; FeI 84–97.

Structures: Head squared, moderately longer than wide. Eyes small, laterally not reaching sides of head. Ocellar scars absent. Frontal carinae prominent, curved. Entire head with reticulate microsculpture, ventrally more superficial and slightly shiny. In addition,  vertex, frons, clypeus, and temples with two types of punctures, medium-sized and very large, the latter bearing the standing setae; number of large groove-like punctures on clypeus 12–16. Genae only with large punctures bearing no or very short setae. Clypeus moderately narrow, about 1.3 times as long as wide; basal margin with distinct emargination; base with short, narrow median impression, in one specimen inconspicuous; anterior  margin strongly protruded, but hardly surpassing genae. Mandibles with fine, widely spaced punctures and very fine micropunctures. Mesosoma similar to minor regarding microsculpture and dorsal outline, but slightly higher, somewhat broader at pronotum. Node of petiole similar to minor, but apex less acute in lateral view and straighter in anterior view. Gaster similar as in minor.

Pilosity: Similar to minor, except white setae on head, pronotum, and mesonotum comparatively shorter; short pubescence absent from head.

Colour: Black, similar to minor, with the following exceptions: anterior part of genae yellowish or reddish brown; anterior part of clypeus medium to dark brown; anterior part of frons light to medium brown; mandibles reddish brown, except black teeth; orange-brown colour of funiculus more extended.

Queen
Paratypes (n = 2): HW 1.65, 1.67; HL 1.78, 1.83; SL 1.37, 1.39; SW 0.17, 0.19; EL 0.62, 0.63; ML 3.13, 3.26; HaL 0.28, 0.29; FeL 1.83, 1.84; OcW 0.11; FWL 8.87; CI 92, 93; SI 83; EI 37, 38; FeI 110, 111.

Structures: Intermediate between minor and major in many characters. Head roundish, somewhat elongated. Eyes large, slightly surpassing outline of head. Ocelli present. Sculpture of head similar as in major. Clypeus with emarginated base and medially protruded anterior margin. Mesosoma with gyne-specific structures, entirely bearing reticulated microsculpture, slightly shiny; mesoscutum anteriorly with short, narrow, deep median impression. Petiole similar as in major. Gaster larger than in workers, translucent margins of tergites 3–4 somewhat broader.

Pilosity: Similar to major. Standing setae on thoracic nota short, completely absent from pronotum. Short pubescence absent from head.

Colour: Black, similar to minor, except anterior margin of clypeus dark brown, mandibles reddish brown, except black teeth, and orange-brown colour of funiculus more extended. Wings grayish-yellow; veins yellow to yellow-brown.

Type Material

 * Holotype (minor worker #1132; BRM) from Brunei, Temburong, Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre, visitor canopy walkway, 14.IV.2015, leg. A. Kopchinskiy, #VCW 322.
 * Paratypes (BRM, SKYC, CZW, NHMW): 5 minor workers (#1128–1131, 1133), 3 major workers (#1125–1127), and 2 alate gynes (#1123, 1124), same nest series; 1 minor worker, same locality, sample 45; 1 major worker (#1807), 1 minor worker (#1808), Malaysia, Sarawak, Lambir N.P., Canopy 4 ha, 8.III.2004, leg. H.O. Tanaka, P(10) B(5), TY(04)-(637) (“sp. 65”); 5 minor workers (#1818), 7 major workers (#1821, 1822), Indonesia, Borneo, North Kalimantan, Tanah Tidung, Gunung Rian, in hard dead wood, 26.III.2016, leg. Sk. Yamane & Syaukani, KM16-SKY-111.

Etymology
The species epithet (a noun in apposition) refers to the similarity with the genus Colobopsis.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Zettel H., P. Balaka, S. Yamane, A. Laciny, L. Lim, and I. S. Druzhinina. 2018. New mimetic ants from Southeast Asia – the Camponotus (Myrmamblys) inquilinus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Camponotini). Zeitschrift der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osterreichischer Entomologen 70: 125-174.