Camponotus ramulorum

Far and away the most abundant species of the genus on Andros and New Providence Islands. It is nocturnal and forms small colonies like those of C. marginatus, in the hollow twigs of trees or bushes and between the leaves of Tillandsias along the 'swashes' and “coppets.” Specimens from many colonies were collected in the following localities: Blue Hills, Fort Charlotte, and Hog Key near Nassau, N. P., and on all the keys that were visited along the Southern Bight and about Crawl Creek in western Andros. Some specimens collected by Prof. C. H. Eigenmann near Havana, Cuba, in a dried bean-pod, belong to this same variety. (Wheeler 1905)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bahamas, Cuba.

Nomenclature

 *  ramulorum. Camponotus inaequalis var. ramulorum Wheeler, W.M. 1905b: 114, figs. S-U (s.w.q.m.) BAHAMAS. Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1914a: 267; in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 82. Raised to species: Wheeler, W.M. 1913b: 503 (in text). Current subspecies: nominal plus marcidus, mestrei, vernulus.

Worker
Major Length 6-7.5 mm.

Belonging to the maculatus group. Head about as long as broad, subtriangular, much narrower in front than behind, sides rounded, posterior border straight. Mandibles with seven teeth, which gradually increase in length towards the apex. Clypeus sharply carinate, produced into a broad lobe in front which is rounded on the sides and very faintly sinuate in the middle. Eyes large, flat, broadly elliptical, behind the middle of the head. Vertex with three small impressions simulating ocelli. Antennae rather robust, scape not compressed at the base, enlarging towards the tip, which surpasses by a little more than its transverse diameter the posterior corner of the head. Thorax rather robust, prothorax three fifths as broad as the head, meso- and meta-thorax laterally compressed; in profile the thorax is rather high, evenly arched as far back as the beginning of the epinotal declivity, which forms a very blunt angle with the basal epinotal surface and is of about the same length. Petiole convex in front and flattened behind, with a rather sharp border which is hardly excised in the middle. Gaster and legs of the usual shape.

Body shining, very finely shagreened. Mandibles, clypeus, and anterior two thirds of the head sparsely punctate.

Hairs yellow, very sparse, erect, absent on the legs and antennae, except at the tips of the scapes and femora. Each gastric segment has a single row of hairs along its posterior edge.

Yellow; mandibles reddish brown with black teeth. Head dark brown or black, especially on its upper surface, posterior corners yellow; the black portion extending back beyond the vertex in the form of a blunt point. Pronotum in the middle with a large dark brown or black triangular spot, broadest behind, sides with dark brown clouds; meso- and epinotum and pleurae spotted with black or brown. Gaster with a broad dark brown band across each segment; on the second and third segments this band suddenly narrows on either side. Petiole and legs yellow; tarsi and antennae reddish.

Minor Length 5-6 mm.

Head, excluding the mandibles, 1 1/2 times as long as broad, with slightly rounded sides, not narrower in front than behind; posterior margin straight. Mandibles 6-toothed. Clypeus and eyes like those of the worker major. Antennal scape projecting about 1/3 its length beyond the posterior corner of the head. Thorax very similar to that of the worker major; in front somewhat narrower than the head. Petiole narrower, more obtuse, and seen from behind with a more convex border than in the worker major.

Sculpture and pilosity as in the worker major. The head and thorax in some specimens are uniformly yellow or have only a few pale brown clouds on their dorsal surfaces. The brown bands on the gaster are paler and narrower than in the worker major.

Queen
Length 12-13 mm.

Resembling the worker major. The head is narrower and the antennal scapes project somewhat further beyond the posterior corners. Epinotum rounded, with short basal and abrupt and longer declivity. Node of petiole broad, rather blunt, with a transverse, faintly sinuate upper border.

Sculpture and pilosity as in the worker major. Mesonotum with a few piligerous punctures. Hairs on the thorax somewhat more abundant.

Sides of head more yellow than in the worker major. The mesonotum has a median, triangular, dark brown patch, broadest in front, and a dark cloud on either side. Scutellum and basal surface of epinotum dark brown; mesopleurae clouded with brown. Bands on the gastric segments very broad, especially in the middle. Wings yellowish hyaline, with yellow veins and brown stigma.

Male
Length 5-6 mm.

Head, including eyes and excluding mandibles, as long as broad, evenly rounded behind, narrower through the cheeks which are long and distinctly concave. Mandibles with a feeble tooth behind the apical tooth. Clypeus evenly rounded in front, convex and bluntly carinate in the middle. Antennae very long, slender. Thorax robust, mesonotum projecting upward and forward; epinotum convex, faintly angular in profile. Petiole low and thick, with a very blunt node. Genitalia small and very slender. Legs long.

Smooth and rather shining, very finely shagreened, the head somewhat more distinctly than the thorax.

Dark brown; edges of sclerites, intersegmental constrictions of gaster, mandibles, funiculi, and genitalia yellow or sordid. Wings as in the female.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alayo D. P. 1974. Introduccion al estudio de los Himenopteros de Cuba. Superfamilia Formicoidea. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Instituto de Zoologia. Serie Biologica no.53: 58 pp. La Habana.
 * Deyrup M., L. Davis, and S. Buckner. 1998. Composition of the ant fauna of three Bahamian islands. Proceedings of the seventh symposium on the natural history of the Bahamas. 23-32. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas
 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
 * Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1993. Composición y estructura de comunidades de hormigas en un sistema de formaciones vegetales costeras. Poeyana. Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba 441: 1-19.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1993. Mirmecofauna de Isla de la Juventud y de algunos cayos del archipielago cubano. Poeyana. Instituto de Ecologia y Sistematica, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba 444:1-7.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Kusnezov N. 1963. Zoogeografia de las hormigas en sudamerica. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 19: 25-186
 * Mann W. M. 1920. Additions to the ant fauna of the West Indies and Central America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 42: 403-439.
 * Morrison L. W. 1998. A review of Bahamian ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) biogeography. Journal of Biogeography 25: 561-571.
 * Morrison, Lloyd. 2006. The Ants of Small Bahamian Cays. Bahamas Naturalist & Journal of Science. 1(2):27-32.
 * Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2002. Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa. Cocuyo 12: 10-13
 * Portuondo Ferrer E., and J. L. Fernández Triana. 2005. Species of hymenopterans (bees, wasps, and ants) recorded in Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, from literature records, revision of the collection at BIOECO, and collections before and during the rapid inventory, 12-22 February 2004. In Fong G., A., D. Maceira F., W. S. Alverson, y/and T. Wachter, eds. 2005. Cuba: Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt. Rapid Biological Inventories Report 14. The Field Museum, Chicago.
 * Portuondo Ferrer, E. and J. Fernandez Triana. Biodiversidad del orden Hymenoptera en Los Macizos Montanosos de Cuba Oriental. Boletin S.E.A. 35:121-136.
 * Reyes, J. L.. "Inventario de la colección de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba." Boletín de la Sociedad Aragonesa 36 (2005): 279-283.
 * Smith, Marion R. 1954. American Museum Novitates. Ants of the Bimini Island Group, Bahamas, British West Indies (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). 1671:1-16
 * Smith, Marion R. 1954. Ants of the Bimini Island Group, Bahamas, British West Indies. American Museum of Natural History. 1671. 1-16.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1905. The ants of the Bahamas, with a list of the known West Indian species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21: 79-135.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1913. The ants of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 54: 477-505.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1937. Ants mostly from the mountains of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 81: 439-465.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1942. Studies of Neotropical ant-plants and their ants. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 90: 1-262.