Camponotus striatipes

A Weaver Ant that uses silk in its nest construction.

Identification
A member of the subgenus Karavaievia. This group of Camponotus species is known for their monomorphic workers and their nest weaving behavior.

Dumpert (1995) - C. striatipes is the most slender of all Karavaievia species. In contrast to Camponotus texens, Camponotus gombaki, Camponotus asli, Camponotus orinus and Camponotus melanus the length of the heads of workers and males is not equal to its width but greater. Compared with these Karavaievia species the differences for HW, CI, and PW are highly significant (P < 0.01) in the worker caste. Scapus of the worker is as long as in C. orinus but significantly longer than in C. texens, C. gombaki, and C. asli. The cuticle of C. striatipes- worker is much more shining than in all other Karavaievia species because of the lack of decumbent pubescence and the weak cuticular sculpture. Also the cuticle of the C. striatipes- male is especially shining because of their weak cuticular sculpture. Compared with C. texens, C. gombaki, C. asli, and C. orinus, striatipes has the smallest males.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Biology
General details about the biology of species in this subgenus can be found on the Karavaievia webpage.

Nomenclature

 *  striatipes. Camponotus (Karavaievia) striatipes Dumpert, in Dumpert, Maschwitz, et al. 1995: 89, figs. 1, 2, 3 (w.q.m.) WEST MALAYSIA.

Worker
Holotype: TL 5.2, HL 1.3, HW 1.16, CI 89.7, SL 1.75, SI 66.6, PW 0.69, OD 0.36. Paratype: TL 5.3 ± 0.3 (standard deviation), HL 1.26 ± 0.07, HW 1.14 ± 0.06, CI 90.4 ± 2.4, SL 1.68 ± 0.06, SI 68.6 ± 2.6, PW 0.69 ± 0.05, OD 0.36 ± 0.015 or 0.29 ± 0.31 HW (16 measured).

Head trapezoidal, with strongly rounded occipital corners; occipital margin and head sides convex. Head longer than wide (CI 89.7). Eyes are situated behind the midlength of the sides of the head; their maximum diameter is 0.36 mm, or about 0.3 HW. Apart from a slight projection behind the scapal insertion, frontal carinae are straight, slightly divergent, and extended to about midlength of head. Anterior clypeal margin with a slight excision in the middle. Mandibles short, with lateral borders Explanation of the abbreviations used: strongly curved and five subequal teeth on each masticatory border. Antennal scapes projecting beyond the occipital margin by about one third of their length. Pedicel longer than the following flagellar segments: apical flagellar segments slightly thickened.

Head and alitrunk uniformly reddish brown, gaster blackish dark brown. Front part of head, antenna flagellum, and legs slightly lighter brown than the rest of head and alitrunk. Tibiae of all six legs nearly white with a broad crosswise stripe in the middle. Surface of head, alitrunk, and gaster conspicuous shining due to only very weak reticulated structure. Decumbent pubescens is lacking. Longer erect and suberect yellowish white hair especially on clypeus, but also on rest of head, alitrunk and gaster.

Alitrunk - as in all other Karavaievia species – with a deep impression between promesonotum and propodeum, and two raised stigmata at the deepest point of the impression. Promesonotum, seen in profile. broadly rounded and higher than propodeum. Propodeal profile considerably flattened on top.

Queen
Gynetype: TL 8.1; HL 1.5; HW 1.48; CI 98; SL 2.08; SI71.08; PW 1.15; OD 0.65; dealate, active queen of the colony.

Head nearly as wide as long (CI 98): sides of the head convex, occipital corners rounded, occiptal margin - in contrast to all other known Karavaievia females - strongly convex. Eyes are situated behind the midlength of the sides of the head and relatively large compared with other Karavaievia females (0.44 x HW as against 0.27- 0.32: [6]). Frontal carinae extend to about midlength of the head. Apart from a lateral projection beyond the scapal insertion, they are almost straight and only slightly divergent. Clypeus similar in shape than that of the workers with the exception that its anterior margin shows a slight median semicircular excision. In contrast to all other known Karavaievia females this is by far the slightest median clypeal excision and shows no indented edges. Mandibles strong, distinctly rounded on outside and with 5 subequal teeth on inside. Frontal area weakly delimited and as much shining as surroundings.

Alitrunk slender and more narrow than in all other known Karavaievia females (PW 1.15 as against 1.68 - 2.26). Petiole with a broad base, tapering toward the apex into a narrow ridge, seen from the side.

Body in most of its parts uniformly reddish brown, gaster black, antennal flagellum yellowish, legs with three whitish rings, two on the tibiae and one on trochanter and the upper most part of the femur. The body as a whole shining, gaster not as much as the rest of the body. Decumbent pubescence scarcely on the mandibles and the front parts of the head, longer erect and suberect hairs on the whole body including scapes, legs, and gaster.

Male
Allotype: TL 4.1; HL 0.83; HW 0.76; CI 91.4; SL 0.98; SI 78; PW 1.0; OD 0.38. Paratype: TL 4.1 ± 0.1 (standard deviation); HL 0.80 ± 0.03; HW 0.74 ± 0.025; CI 91.6 ± 2.4; SL 0.94 ± 0.04; SI 78.8 ± 2.3; PW 0.94 ± 0.04; OD 0.37 ± 0.01 (8 measured).

The trapezoidal head longer than wide (CI 91.4), with prominent convex eyes, extending to the upper end of the head sides. Occipital margin strongly convex with protruding ocelli. Clypeus narrow, width about 0.17 mm; anterior margin of the clypeus slightly protruding with straight anterior margin. Short frontal carinae nearly straight, reaching back to midlength of head. Eyes relatively large; maximum diameter 0.38 mm. or about 0.5 HW. Scapes long. projecting beyond occipital margin of the head by more than half their length. Pedicel expanded at its distal end and thicker than following flagellar segments.

Head, alitrunk, and gaster shining, with numerous small punctures seen under the binocular and a weak imbricated structure, revealed by the electron microscope. Head and alitrunk reddish brown, gaster dark brown; front part of head, anterior part of head. scapes, pedicells and legs lighter. Antennal flagellum -except pedicel- dark brown. Wings are nearly white with brown veins. Decumbent pubescence nearly missing, longer decumbent or erect hairs on the whole body but not dense. Propodeal profile nearly plane with very weak convex dorsal and weakly concave descending part. Petiolar scale triangular in profile, with a broad base tapering to a ridge. Ridge with a very slight median excision.

Type Material
Holotype: Peninsular Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan. Pasoh Forest Reserve, March/28/1992 K. Rosciszewski leg. (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel).

Paratypes: 15 workers with same data as holotype (2 m Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; 2 in collection of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia in Kepong: 2 in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova: 3 in collection of Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Karlsruhe; 6 in collection of the author).

Allotype male, Peninsular Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan. Pasoh Forest Reserve, March/28/1992, K. Rosciszewski leg. (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel).

Paratypes: 7 males with the same data as holotype (2 in Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; 2 in collection of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong; I in the collection of Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Karlsruhe; 2 in the collection of the author).

Gynetype: Borneo/Sabah: Poring Hot Springs on Aporusa subcaudata, Lower Montane> 650 m, mixed dipterocarp forest, May/9/ 1992, A. Floren leg. (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel

Etymology
The name is derived from a typical brown stripe on the worker legs of this species.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dumpert K., U. Maschwitz, A. Weissflog, K. Rosciszewski, and I. Hj. Azarae. 1995. Six new weaver ant species from Malaysia: Camponotus (Karavaievia) striatipes, C. (K.) melanus, C. (K.) nigripes, C. (K.) belumensis, C. (K.) gentingensis, and C. (K.) micragyne. Malaysian Journal of Science 16A: 87-105.
 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58