Camponotus hyatti

Camponotus hyatti is a highly polymoprhic species with majors, medias and minors. It is found nesting inside wood, including oaks, manzanita, chemise, sagebrush, and inside the hollow base of thick shrubs including Yucca and Ephedra. This species belongs to the subgenus Myrmentoma, a Holarctic group of small to medium sized carpenter ants. There is a distinct notch in the middle of the anterior margin of the clypeus in this subgenus which has about 13 North American species.

Identification
Camponotus hyatti is a member of a complex of western North American species characterized by sparsely punctate 5-toothed mandibles, and the flattened, shiny sparsely punctate clypeus of the major workers and female reproductives. In the major workers, the entire frontal and malar area of the head is smooth and shiny. There is a distinct metanotal groove. The basal face of the propodeum is convex in profile rather than flat. There are only a few erect hairs on the dorsum of the pronotum and mesonotum.

Distribution
This taxon was described from the United States. It has been found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Baja California. It is most common in southern California.

Biology
Colonies are found nesting in the hollow base of thick shrubs such as Yucca and Ephedra. Polymorphic workers forage during the day. Nest size can be more than 200 workers. Reproductives fly during the summer rains. Males and reproductive females can be found in nests as late as early August on the Colorado Plateau. There is a single reproductive queen in the nest.

Castes
Polymorphic workers include majors, medias and minors.

Nomenclature

 *  hyatti. Camponotus hyatti Emery, 1893i: 680, pl. 22, figs. 25, 26 (s.w.) U.S.A. Combination in C. (Camponotus): Forel, 1914a: 266; in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1920b: 257. Senior synonym of californica: Snelling, R.R. 1988: 69.
 * bicolor. Camponotus sayi subsp. bicolor Pergande, 1894: 161 (s.w.q.m.) MEXICO. [Junior secondary homonym of Formica bicolor Latreille, 1798, above.] Replacement name: californicus Emery, 1925b: 118.
 * californica. Camponotus (Myrmentoma) sayi subsp. californica Emery, 1925b: 118. Replacement name for Camponotus sayi subsp. bicolor Pergande, 1894: 161. [Junior secondary homonym of Formica bicolor Latreille, 1798: 43.] Junior synonym of sayi: Snelling, R.R. 1968b: 355; of hyatti: Snelling, R.R. 1988: 69.

Additional References
[[Media:Snelling 1988 .pdf|Snelling, R. R. 1988. Taxonomic notes on Nearctic species of Camponotus, subgenus Myrmentoma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pp. 55-78 in: Trager, J. C. (ed.) Advances in myrmecology. Leiden: E. J. Brill, xxvii + 551 pp.]]