Camponotus flavomarginatus

Camponotus flavomarginatus is widespread across the African grassland-forest zone (Taylor et al., 2018). Taylor (1978) reported it from Nigeria, where it was fairly common especially on insolated ground, with nests in soil. It forages widely across the ground and on native herbaceous vegetation and trees; also on cocoa (fairly common), cashew, coffee, kola and oil palm. It will tend aphids on cocoa but probably does not build tents. In Benin, Taylor et al. (2018) found it in Mangifera indica (mango) orchards on the ground and on trees, where it was both an antagonist and prey of Oecophylla longinoda. They also report it on the ground at the base of a Eucalyptus, from beating weeds near a river, and while hand collecting from Anacardium occidentale (cashew). In Oman, Sharaf et al. (2022) collected a nest series under a stone where the soil was loose and dry. Several workers were found on a tree of Vachellia.

Identification
Oman (Sharaf et al., 2022) - Mesosomal profile a continuous curve; metanotal groove indistinct; petiole in profile with a curved anterior margin and a straight posterior margin; entire surface covered with dense pale pubescence; few sparse setae on body.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Benin, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia , Somalia , South Africa, United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus flavomarginatus Mayr, 1862: 664 (w.) GHANA.
 * Type-material: holotype minor worker.
 * Type-locality: Ghana (“Gold Coast”): Akwapim Mts (no collector’s name).
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Forel, 1907c: 144 (q.m.); Menozzi, 1926a: 38 (q.m.).
 * Combination in C. (Myrmosericus): Santschi, 1916b: 509.
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Forel, 1910c: 271; Forel, 1914d: 254; Santschi, 1914e: 41.
 * Junior synonym of micans: Mayr, 1879: 647; Dalla Torre, 1893: 243.
 * Junior synonym of cinctellus: Forel, 1894b: 70.
 * Subspecies of micans: Emery, 1881b: 526; Forel, 1886f: 174.
 * Subspecies of rufoglaucus: Forel, 1892j: 237; Emery, 1895h: 48 (in key); Emery, 1896d: 372 (in list); Emery, 1897e: 604; Emery, 1899a: 501; Forel, 1907c: 144; Santschi, 1911g: 212; Santschi, 1914d: 381; Santschi, 1916b: 509; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 247, 968; Viehmeyer, 1923: 93; Arnold, 1924: 692; Emery, 1925b: 106; Menozzi, 1926a: 38; Menozzi, 1927f: 361; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Santschi, 1935a: 279; Santschi, 1935b: 276; Santschi, 1937d: 242; Santschi, 1939f: 167; Weber, 1943c: 337.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 2; Mayr, 1863: 399; Emery, 1877b: 365; Collingwood, 1985: 281; Bolton, 1995b: 100; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 373; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 451; Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 205; Borowiec, L. 2014: 31; Madl, 2019: 14.
 * Senior synonym of albisectus: Emery, 1895h: 48 (in key); Emery, 1896d: 372; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 968; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 100.
 * Distribution: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
 * albisectus. Camponotus micans r. albisectus Emery, 1892a: 120 (w.) SOMALIA.
 * Combination in C. (Myrmosericus): Forel, 1914a: 268.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 221; Forel, 1914a: 268.
 * Junior synonym of flavomarginatus: Emery, 1895h: 48 (in key); Emery, 1896d: 372; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 968; Menozzi, 1930b: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
 * jizani. Camponotus jizani Collingwood, 1985: 281, figs. 71, 73 (s.w.) SAUDI ARABIA.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, paratype major and minor workers (numbers not stated).
 * Type-localities: Saudi Arabia: Abu Arish, nr Jizan, 25.iii.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), Saudi Arabia: Fayfa, 27-28.iii.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), vic. Fayfa resthouse, 30.iii..1983 (C.A. Collingwood), Saudi Arabia: Abu Arish, vic. resthouse, 3.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), Saudi Arabia: Khamis al Bhar, 4.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood)
 * [Note: Collingwood does not give a locality or specific data that isolates the holotype.]
 * Type-depository: NHMB (probably also WMLC).
 * Subgenus indeterminate: Bolton, 1995b: 106.
 * Status as species: Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 373; Borowiec, L. 2014: 34.
 * Junior synonym of flavomarginatus: Saraf et al., 2022: 13.

Type Material

 * Holotype of Camponotus jizani: KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA • 1 s; Fifa; no date; C.A. Collingwood leg.; CASENT0922313; WMLC. (Sharaf et al., 2022)
 * Paratype of Camponotus jizani: KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA • 1 mw; Fifa nr Jizan; 27–31 Mar. 1983; C.A. Collingwood leg.; CASENT0911619; NHMB. (Sharaf et al., 2022)

Taxonomic Notes
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) – Camponotus jizani, now a junior synonym, is abundant in the lower valleys of south-west Yemen just as it is around Fayfa in Saudi Arabia. Camponotus flavomarginatus seems to be more restricted to the mountains where, as in the Asir mountains and the Sumara and Sangani passes in Yemen, it occurred on rugged land over 2200 m.

Sharaf et al. (2022) - The type material of Camponotus jizani is represented by only two specimens, a paratype minor worker (CASENT0911619) that is deposited in NHMB, and a presumably holotype major worker (CASENT0922313) deposited in WMLC. Unfortunately, the card of the holotype specimen is cut and the data do not completely match the data mentioned in the original description except for the type locality (Fifa). In a discussion between M.R. Sharaf and C.A. Collingwood, the latter confirmed that these two specimens represent the type material of C. jizani. A comparison of the available holotype and paratype workers of C. jizani with the type material of C. flavomarginatus was carried out. We here treat C. jizani as a junior subjective synonym of C. flavomarginatus.

Numerous species similar to C. flavomarginatus exist in the Afrotropical Region. There is a large complex of species centered around Camponotus rufoglaucus, first described from India, and C. flavomarginatus. The complex comprises many broadly distributed species with numerous infraspecific taxa of dubious identity, and poorly preserved type material. Thus, the identification of this species complex as C. flavomarginatus is questionable.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Abera-Kalibata A. M., C. S. Gold, R. G. Van Driesche, and P. E. Ragama. 2007. Composition, distribution, and relative abundance of ants in banana farming systems in Uganda. Biological Control 40: 168-178.
 * Arnold G. 1924. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part VI. Camponotinae. Annals of the South African Museum 14: 675-766.
 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3: 5-16.
 * Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 3: 5-16.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Gambia (Western Africa). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 26: 1-13.
 * Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
 * Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405474
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * El-Hawagry M. S., M. W. Khalil, M. R. Sharaf, H. H. Fadl, and A. S. Aldawood. 2013. A preliminary study on the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia, with descriptions of two new species. ZooKeys 274: 188. doi:10.3897/zookeys.274.4529
 * Emery, C.. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte prima. Formiche provenienti dal Viaggio dei signori Antinori, Beccari e Issel nel Mar Rosso e nel paese dei Bogos. [concl.]." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 9 (1877): 363-381.
 * Forel A. 1907. Fourmis d'Ethiopie récoltées par M. le baron Maurice de Rothschild en 1905. Revue d'Entomologie (Caen) 26: 129-144.
 * Forel A. 1910. Ameisen aus der Kolonie Erythräa. Gesammelt von Prof. Dr. K. Escherich (nebst einigen in West-Abessinien von Herrn A. Ilg gesammelten Ameisen). Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 29: 243-274.
 * Forel A. 1914. Formicides d'Afrique et d'Amérique nouveaux ou peu connus. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 50: 211-288.
 * Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Kami K.S., and S. E. Miller. 1998. Samoan insects and related arthropods: checklist and bibliography. Bishop Museum Technical Report 13, pp 121.
 * Madl M. 2019. Notes on the ant fauna of Eritrea (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae): type specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum Vienna (Austria) and a preliminary checklist. Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, B 121: 9-18.
 * Medler J. T. 1980: Insects of Nigeria - Check list and bibliography. Mem. Amer. Ent. Inst. 30: i-vii, 1-919.
 * Menozzi C. 1926. Formiche dell'Africa centrale. Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana. 58: 36-41.
 * Menozzi C. 1930. Formiche della Somalia italiana meridionale. Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana. 9: 76-130.
 * Santschi F. 1914. Meddelanden från Göteborgs Musei Zoologiska Afdelning. 3. Fourmis du Natal et du Zoulouland récoltées par le Dr. I. Trägårdh. Göteborgs Kungliga Vetenskaps och Vitterhets Samhälles Handlingar. 15: 1-44.
 * Santschi F. 1928. Formicidae (Fourmis). Insects Samoa. 5: 41-58.
 * Santschi F. 1935. Hymenoptera. I. Formicidae. Mission Scientifique de l'Omo 2: 255-277.
 * Santschi F. 1939. Résultats scientifiques des croisières du navire-école belge, "Mercator". XIV. Formicidae s. lt. Mémoires du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique. (2)15: 159-167.
 * Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004
 * Stephens S. S., P. B. Bosu, and M. R. Wager. 2016. Effect of overstory tree species diversity and composition on ground foraging ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in timber plantations in Ghana. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & management 12(1-2): 96-107.
 * Taylor B., N. Agoinon, A. Sinzogan, A. Adandonon, Y. N'Da Kouagou, S. Bello, R. Wargui, F. Anato, I. Ouagoussounon, H. Houngbo, S. Tchibozo, R. Todjhounde, and J. F. Vayssieres. 2018. Records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with particular reference to the mango farm ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 8(1): 006–029.
 * Weber N. A. 1943. The ants of the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 93: 263-389.
 * Wetterer, James K. and Vargo, Donald Vargo L. 2003. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samoa. Pacific Science. 57(4):409-419.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004