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
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.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Turkey.

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.