Camponotus dufouri

Camponotus dufouri is only known from Madagascar. Its distribution follows that of eastern humid forests ranging from the littoral to the montane rainforest of the island (Fig. 52G). Its colony nests have been found mostly in rotten logs, rotten sticks, and rotting tree stumps, and rarely in dead branches, twigs, and bamboo on the ground. Workers forage frequently on the ground and in leaf litter, rarely on low vegetation. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Identification
With head in full-face view, lateral cephalic margins converge posteriorly towards eye level, strongly converging from posterior ocular margin to occipital corner of head; anteromedian margin of clypeus straight; two apical teeth of mandible normally spaced; lateral cephalic margin anterior to eye level covered with erect hairs.

A clypeus with a straight anteromedian margin makes C. dufouri easy to separate from Camponotus lokobe. Also, in C. tendryi, when the head is set in full-face view, the lateral cephalic margin posterior to the eye level is without erect hairs and its body size is smaller (CS: 1.57±0.01; 1.56–1.58), while in C. dufouri, erect hairs are present on the lateral cephalic margin posterior to the eye level and its body size is larger (CS: 1.97±0.19; 1.66–2.26). (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus dufouri Forel, 1891b: 16, pl. 1, fig. 2a-d (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Forel, 1895c: 244 (q.); Forel, 1895h: 488 (m.).
 * Combination in C. (Dinomyrmex): Forel, 1914a: 268;
 * combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 229; Forel, 1895c: 244; Emery, 1895f: 337; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Wasmann, 1897: 250; Forel, 1907g: 91; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1043; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 97.
 * imerinensis. Camponotus dufouri var. imerinensis Forel, 1891b: 18 (q.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
 * Subspecies of dufouri: Dalla Torre, 1893: 229; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1043; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 104.
 * Junior synonym of dufouri: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 77.

Type Material
Camponotus dufouri
 * Syntype workers, Madagascar, 30 miles NW Tamatave (O’Swald) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022]; 1 syntype major worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, Madagascar, AntWeb CASENT0101644 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
 * Paralectoype: 1 major worker same data as lectotype but with specimen code: CASENT0101669 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Camponotus dufouri imerinensis
 * Syntype workers and queen, Madagascar, Environ d’Antananarivo, Imerina [labeled as “Andrangoloaka”] (Sikora) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022]; 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0101812 (Sikora) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
 * Paralectotypes: 1 major worker and 1 alate queen of the same data as lectotype but with the following specimen codes: CASENT0101919 (Sikora) and CASENT0101679 (Camboué) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Taxonomic Notes
A verification of the syntype workers of C. dufouri imerinensis demonstrates that they were indistinguishable from the syntypes of C. dufouri. Moreover, since the geographic distribution of C. dufouri is ranging from the littoral to the montane rainforests of Madagascar where the type specimens of the subspecies name were collected, it is consequently correct to synonymize it under C. dufouri. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
 * Fisher B. L. 1997. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 31: 269-302.
 * Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
 * Forel A. 1897. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen und von Herrn Perrot auf Ste. Marie (Madagaskar) gesammelten Ameisen. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 21: 185-208.
 * Forel A. 1907. Ameisen von Madagaskar, den Comoren und Ostafrika. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Reise in Ostafrika 2: 75-92.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 1005-1055