Camponotus repens

Camponotus repens is an endemic, widespread species distributed across the littoral forests and rainforests of the north, the tropical dry forests of the northwest and west, the gallery forests of the central south and southeast, and the spiny forests and thickets in the south of Madagascar. In open habitats like Uapaca woodland, spiny forests and thickets, and a few tropical forests, the nests are found either in the ground or under stones, whereas in most of the dry habitats and the gallery forests the species nests in rotten logs, rot pockets, and rotting tree stumps. Workers have been found foraging in the leaf litter, on the ground and on the lower parts of the vegetation.

Identification
A member of the subgenus Mayria (see diagnosis). Rakotonirina and Fisher (2018) - Median portion of clypeus with longitudinal carina; dorsum of mesosoma covered with numerous slender erect hairs and elongate appressed hairs; in lateral view, petiolar node higher than long; distal portion of procoxa white.

One of the smallest species (CL: 0.8–1.18; PW: 0.54–0.83) in the subgenus Mayria, C. repens can be recognized by its mesosoma dorsum covered with numerous slender erect hairs and elongate appressed hairs, the convex median portion of the clypeus and the white color of the distal portion of the procoxa.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 * madagascarensis. Mayria madagascarensis Forel, 1886c: civ (w.) MADAGASCAR. Forel, 1894e: 227 (s.). Combination in Camponotus (Mayria): Forel, 1894e: 227. [Junior secondary homonym of madagascarensis Forel, above.] Replacement name: repens Forel, 1897c: 187.
 *  repens. Camponotus (Mayria) repens Forel, 1897c: 187. Replacement name for Mayria madagascarensis Forel, 1886c: civ. [Junior secondary homonym of Camponotus niveosetosus r. madagascarensis Forel, 1886c: civ.]

Worker
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2018) - Minor. In full-face view, head elongate, oval, with broadly convex posterior margin. Clypeus with truncate anteromedian margin, its junction to lateral margin broadly angulate; clypeal lamella absent. Eyes breaking lateral outlines of head, their posterior margins located well behind the mid-length of the head (PoOc/CL: 0.27±0.01; 0.25–0.29). Mandible triangular, apical margin with six sharp teeth. Antennal scape long, roughly its apical third extending beyond posterior cephalic border. In lateral view, pronotum weakly convex; mesonotum and propodeum more or less straight; propodeal angle roughly rounded; propodeal dorsum roughly one and a half times longer than height of declivity. Petiolar node about as high as long.

Dorsum of body covered with numerous slender, whitish, erect hairs and abundant elongate pubescence. Head, mesosoma, and gaster black; legs generally much lighter in color than body: trochanter, apical portion of coxa and femur whitish-yellow; rest of leg dark brown basally and becoming light brown toward the apex; antennal scape and apical portion of funiculus dark brown and basal portion of funiculus light brown to brown.

Major. With characteristics of minor worker except for the following divergent characters: larger head; antennal scape barely surpassing posterior cephalic margin; longitudinal median cariana on posterior half of clypeus; pronotum weakly convex; mesonotum and propodeal dorsum more or less straight and separated by a shallow metanotum; declivity surface rounding to propodeal dorsum.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fisher B. L. 1997. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 31: 269-302.
 * Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
 * Forel A. 1886. Diagnoses provisoires de quelques espèces nouvelles de fourmis de Madagascar, récoltées par M. Grandidier. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 30: ci-cvii.
 * Forel A. 1897. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen und von Herrn Perrot auf Ste. Marie (Madagaskar) gesammelten Ameisen. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 21: 185-208.
 * Goodman S., Y. Anbdou, Y. Andriamiarantsoa, B. L. Fisher, O. Griffiths, B. Keitt, J. J. Rafanomezantsoa, E. Rajoelison, J. C. Rakotonirina, L. Ranaivoarisoa et al. 2017. Results of a biological inventory of the Nosy Ankao island group, Parc National de Loky-Manambato, northeastern Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, Association Vahatra, 2017, 11, 
 * Rakotonirina J. C., and B. L. Fisher. 2018. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Mayria Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 4438: 1-58.
 * Ravelomanana A., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Diversity of ants in burned and unburned grassland, and dry deciduous forest in the Beanka Reserve, Melaky Region, western Madagascar. Malagasy Nature 7: 171-183.