Camponotus hova

This species was found in dry leaf litter next to a date palm tree in Yemen (Sharaf et al., 2017).

Identification
Collingwood et al. (2004) - Superficial resemblance to the Afrotropical Camponotus maculatus, but differs in the reduced number of ventral head hairs, less clearly defined pale spots on the gaster and generally smaller size.

Distribution
A species described originally from Madagascar, commonly found on islands of East Africa (Collingwood and Agosti 1996, Collingwood et al. 2004), and recorded from the Arabian Peninsula from Oman (Collingwood 1985) and Yemen (Collingwood and Agosti 1996, Sharaf et al., 2017).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Comoros, Mozambique, Socotra Archipelago, Yemen. Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mayotte, Seychelles. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus maculatus r. hova Forel, 1891b: 35.
 * [First available use of Camponotus rubripes r. maculatus var. hova Forel, 1886f: 150 (s.w.q.) MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
 * Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Forel, 1907g: 89.
 * Subspecies of maculatus: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 241 (footnote); Emery, 1895f: 337; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Forel, 1897c: 200; Emery, 1898a: 225; Forel, 1907e: 14; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1040.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 235; Emery, 1920c: 5, 9 (in key); Emery, 1925b: 85; Collingwood, 1985: 280; Bolton, 1995b: 104; Dorow, 1996a: 86; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 373; Collingwood, et al. 2004: 489; Borowiec, L. 2014: 33 (see note in bibliography); Sharaf, Fisher, et al. 2017: 9.
 * obscuratus. Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) hova var. obscurata Emery, 1925b: 85.
 * [First available use of Camponotus maculatus subsp. radamae var. obscurata Forel, 1907g: 89 (w.m.) MADAGASCAR; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1041.
 * Subspecies of hova: Bolton, 1995b: 114.
 * Junior synonym of hova: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 99.
 * Material of the unavailable name obscurior referred here by Emery, 1925b: 85.

Determination Clarifications
A record of Camponotus maculatus for Socotra (Kohl 1907), based on specimens collected in 1899 by the expedition of the Vienna museum, should certainly be referred to C. hova.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Collingwood C. A. 1985. Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7: 230-302.
 * Collingwood, C. A. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insects: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2) Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 300-385.
 * Collingwood, C. A., and A. van Harten. "Additions to the Ant Fauna of Yemen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Buchreihe zur Entomologie 8 (2001): 559-568.
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * Collingwood, C. A.. "Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7 (1985): 230-302.
 * Dorow, Wolfgang H. O. 1995. Review and Bibliography of the ants of the Seychelles (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Afr. Zool. 110:73-96
 * Dorow, Wolfgang H.O. 1996. Review and bibliography of the ants of the Seychelles. Journal of African Zoology 110(2): 73-95.
 * 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.
 * Goodman S., Y. Anbdou, Y. Andriamiarantsoa, B. L. Fisher, O. Griffiths, B. Keitt, J. J. Rafanomezantsoa, E. Rajoelison, J. C. Rakotonirina, L. Ranaivoarisoa et al. 2017. Results of a biological inventory of the Nosy Ankao island group, Parc National de Loky-Manambato, northeastern Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, Association Vahatra, 2017, 11, 
 * Hill M. J., T. M. Vel, S. J. Parr, and N. J. Shah. 2002. North Island (Seychelles). Geology, Topography and Climate. Atoll Research Bulletin 495: 176-199.
 * Ravelomanana A., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Diversity of ants in burned and unburned grassland, and dry deciduous forest in the Beanka Reserve, Melaky Region, western Madagascar. Malagasy Nature 7: 171-183.
 * 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
 * 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