Camponotus toussainti

One of numerous endemic Hispaniola Camponotus species that we known very little about.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Greater Antilles, Haiti.

Nomenclature

 *  toussainti. Camponotus toussainti Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914: 60, fig. 27 (w.) HAITI. Combination in C. (Myrmeurynota): Forel, 1914a: 274.

Worker
Worker minor. Length: 4-5 mm.

Head trapezoidal, as broad as long, broader behind than in front seen from above, with evenly and feebly convex posterior and lateral borders; each posterior corner connected with the eye by a distinct ridge. Mandibles small, convex, apparently 4-5-toothed. Clypeus flattened, ecarinate, trapezoidal, its anterior border not produced; sinuately notched in the middle. Frontal area and groove absent. Antennae rather slender, scapes feebly enlarged at their tips and extending a little beyond the posterior corners of the head. Thorax short, with distinct promesonotal but no mesoepinotal suture, feebly arcuate in profile, flattened on the sides. Pronotum broad, sub pentagonal, broader in front than behind, its median anterior border produced as a rounded angle over the neck, its sides expanded as aliform, feebly reflected plates, bluntly rectangular in front and behind. Mesonotum much narrower than the pronotum, subtriangular, as long as broad, its anterior border evenly rounded, its sides strongly margined and feebly rounded, meeting behind in a blunt, margined point where the mesoepinotal suture should be located. Epinotum obliquely sloping, distinctly concave, bearing just above its center an unpaired process which is directed backward and upward and bifurcates at the tip to form two branches which are as long as the unpaired basal stem and slightly recurved and blunt at their tips. Petiole nearly twice as broad as long, broader than the epinotum, seen from above trapezoidal, broader behind than in front, its anterior border perfectly straight, transverse and margined, its sides also straight and sharply margined and forming perfect obtuse angles with the anterior border, behind continued into short, pointed teeth. The posterior border is rounded in the middle and sinuately excised on each side. The upper surface is flattened like the pro-and mesonotum. In profile the petiole is about as long as high, subcuboidal, a little higher in front than behind and thicker above than below. Gaster rather large, elliptical, somewhat flattened dorsoventrally, the anterior and lateral borders of the first segment strongly marginate. Legs moderately stout, fore femora not incrassated.

Opaque throughout, densely and uniformly punctate, the punctures on the gaster being finer than those on the head, thorax and petiole, and the scapes and legs still more finely punctate. Pleurae also feebly longitudinally rugulose.

Hairs and pubescence white; the hairs short, moderately coarse, pointed, erect and rather uniformly abundant on the head, thorax and gaster, shorter and oblique on the legs, absent on the scapes. Pubescence very coarse, long, appressed, silvery, conspicuous on the head, thorax and gaster but not dense. Scapes and funiculi covered with very short, fine, rather dense pubescence.

Black; antennae, tibiae and tarsi dark red.

Type Locality Information
Described from several specimens taken at Petionville and in the mountains north of Jacmel, running on leaves. The nests could not be found.

Etymology
Dedicated to the San Domingan patriot Toussaint L'Ouverture.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Perez-Gelabert D. E. 2008. Arthropods of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti): A checklist and bibliography. Zootaxa 1831:1-530.
 * Wheeler W. M., and W. M. Mann. 1914. The ants of Haiti. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 33: 1-61.
 * Wheeler, William Morton. 1936. Ants From Hispaniola and Mona Island. Bulletin: Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 80(2):192-211.