Camponotus foersteri

Camponotus foersteri is an endemic species to Madagascar where it is broadly distributed across ecosystems ranging from tropical dry forests to transitional humid forests, coastal scrub and littoral rainforests through montane rainforests, and the grasslands of the central high plateau and the eastern region of the island. Its members forage through leaf litter, on forest floor, and on low vegetation. Colony nests are found in root mats in the ground, rotten logs, rotting tree stumps, under root mats and on rock litter, under root mats on dead trees, and in dead twigs or branches above the ground.

Identification
A member of the subgenus Mayria (see diagnosis). Rakotonirina and Fisher (2018) - Median portion of clypeus without longitudinal carina; mandible with six teeth; anteromedian margin of clypeus not bordered by a lamella; in lateral view, mesosoma long and low, its dorsal outline not a dome-like structure; propodeal declivity inclined anteriorly; in lateral view, length of posterior portion of propodeal dorsum measured from the end of line connecting anteriormost point of pronotal shield and metathoracic spiracle roughly twice as long as height of declivity; hind tibia as long as hind femur; petiolar node not flattened anteroposteriorly, its dorsal margin distinctly broadly convex; trochanters and distal portions of coxae yellowish to white.

Camponotus foersteri may be confused with Camponotus maculiventris in that both species have legs that are characterized by at least the trochanters and the distal portions of coxae yellowish to white. However, in C. maculiventris the length of the propodeal dorsum is twice as the height of the declivity surface and the hind tibia is shorter than the hind femur. Also see discussion under Camponotus christi and Camponotus mainty.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 * . Camponotus christi r. foersteri Forel, 1886f: 185 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * [Also described as new by Forel, 1891b: 64.]
 * Forel, 1891b: 64 (s.).
 * Combination in C. (Mayria): Emery, 1925b: 122.
 * Subspecies of christi: Forel, 1891b: 64 (redescription); Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 224 (footnote); Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1045; Emery, 1925b: 122; Bolton, 1995b: 100.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 231; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of ambustus: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * Senior synonym of cambouei: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * Senior synonym of ferruginea: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * Senior synonym of pictipes: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * ambustus. Camponotus christi var. ambustus Forel, 1892l: 233 (s.w.q.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in C. (Mayria): Emery, 1925b: 122.
 * Subspecies of christi: Dalla Torre, 1893: 224; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1045; Emery, 1925b: 122; Bolton, 1995b: 85.
 * Junior synonym of foersteri: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * cambouei. Camponotus cambouei Forel, 1891b: 68, pl. 1, fig. 13; pl. 2, fig. 1 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * [Misspelled as cambonei by Dalla Torre, 1893: 223.]
 * Combination in C. (Camponotus): Forel, 1914a: 266;
 * combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Emery, 1920b: 257;
 * combination in C. (Mayria): Emery, 1925b: 122.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 223; Emery, 1895f: 337; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Forel, 1914a: 266; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1044; Emery, 1925b: 122; Bolton, 1995b: 90.
 * Junior synonym of foersteri: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.
 * pictipes. Camponotus pictipes Forel, 1891b: 217 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in C. (Myrmocamelus): Forel, 1914a: 270;
 * combination in C. (Myrmosaga): Emery, 1920b: 257;
 * combination in C. (Mayria): Emery, 1925b: 123.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 247; Emery, 1896d: 374 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1046; Emery, 1925b: 123; Bolton, 1995b: 117.
 * Junior synonym of foersteri: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018: 27.

Worker
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2018) - Minor. In full-face view, head longer than high, lateral margin straight, weakly diverging posteriorly and rounding to the more or less straight posterior margin. Anteromedian clypeal margin straight, with broadly angulate junction to lateral margin; median longitudinal carina absent. Eyes not breaking lateral outlines of head; their posterior margins located well behind the mid-length of the head (PoOc/CL: 0.33±0.01; 0.31–0.35). Mandible triangular, apical margin with six sharp teeth. Antennal scape long, generally its distal half extending beyond posterior cephalic border. In lateral view, pronotum and mesonotum weakly convex, separated by a shallow suture, posterior half of mesonotum and propodeal dorsum straight and long, junction between propodeal dorsum and declivity surface broadly angulate; propodeal dorsum about three times as long as height of declivity; height of mesosoma taken from posteroventral corner of pronotum to highest point of mesonotum more than twice the height to level of metathoracic spiracle; propodeal spiracle circular. Hind tibia roughly as long as hind femur. Petiolar node as high as long, anterior face rounding to dorsal margin; posterodorsal portion angulate.

Dorsum of head covered with numerous yellowish, elongate, erect hairs; pronotum, mesonotum, and posterodorsal angle of propodeum with a pair of erect hairs; petiolar node with two pairs of erect hairs; pubescence short and sparse. Head and gastral segments darker in color relative to mesosoma and appendages: head and gaster either black to dark brown or dark brown to orange brown with yellow spots on tergites and mesosoma dark brown to yellow-orange with dark spot on metanotal groove and propodeal declivity. Appendages: coxa dark brown basally and whitish-yellow apically; trochanter whitish-yellow; femur and tibia whitish-yelllow with dark brown spots on proximal and apical portion; tarsus dark brown basally and lighter in color apically.

Major. Differing from minor worker in the following characters: enlarged head, with markedly concave posterior margin; apical fourth of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin; robust mesosoma, metanotum distinctly visible, propodeal dorsum rounding to declivity and twice as long as height of declivity; dorsal margin of petiolar node inclined posteriorly from shorter anterior face towards much longer posterior face. More pairs of erect hairs on junction of propodeal dorsum and declivity and on posterodorsal margin of petiolar node.