Camponotus maintikibo Rakotonirina, Csősz & Fisher, 2017

Rakotonirina, Jean Claude, Csősz, Sándor & Fisher, Brian L., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Camponotus grandidieri and niveosetosus species groups (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology, Zootaxa 4238 (2), pp. 203-245 : 229-231

Camponotus maintikibo Rakotonirina, Csősz & Fisher sp. n.

( Figures 8 A, 9A, 14, 21)

Holotype worker. MADAGASCAR: Province Toliara: Parc National d'Andohahela, Forêt de Manatalinjo, 33.6 km 63° ENE Amboasary , 7.6 km 99° E Hazofotsy, -24.81694, 46.61, 150 m, spiny forest/thicket, ground forager, 12–16 Jan 2002 (Fisher, Griswold et al.) collection code: BLF04908, specimen code: CASENT0763877 ( CASC).

Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype and specimens coded: CASENT0000633, CASENT0763878 ( CASC, MHNG).

Diagnosis. Body bicolored, head, mesosoma, and petiolar node yellowish-orange, gastral segments anteriorly yellowish and posteriorly black. Roughly distal half of antennal scape surpassing posterior cephalic margin. Dorsum of propodeum approximately straight and inclined posteriorly.

Description. Minor worker. In full-face view, head elongate (CWb/CL: 0.84±0.01, 0.82–0.86), lateral margins straight and posteriorly diverging, their junction to the convex posterior margin concealed by eyes. Eyes protruding, their posterior level at posterior fifth portion of head (PoOc/CL: 0.21±0.01, 0.19–0.22). Median portion of clypeus transverse (ClyL/GPD: 0.63±0.02, 0.60–0.66), anterior margin projecting into broadly convex lobe, posterior margin weakly notched medially. Mandible subtriangular, apical margin armed with six sharp teeth. Antennal scape long, around distal portion extending beyond posterior border of head. In lateral view, mesosoma without anterior and dorsolateral margination; dorsal outline of mesosoma uniformly convex, sloping gradually from mesonotum to posterodorsal angle of propodeum; metanotal groove obsolete or indistinct; propodeal dorsum longer than declivity height. In dorsal view, mesosoma widest at level of pronotum, and decreasing in width toward propodeal declivity. Opening of propodeal spiracle rounded. In lateral view, petiolar node more or less scalelike and slightly inclined anteriorly, either tapering dorsally or its dorsum rounding to the anterior and posterior faces. Mesotibia and metabia each with a single simple spur.

Head, mesosoma, and petiolar node imbricate, with sparse small punctures from which an appressed hair arises, gastral tergites transversely strigulate. Mandible coriarious, superimposed with piligerous punctures. Whitish erect hairs thinner on dorsum of head and promesonotum becoming thicker on propodeum, petiolar node, and gastral tergites. Composition of hairs: a few pairs on median portion of head from clypeus to near posterior cephalic margin; a few scattered on pronotum, one to two pairs on mesonotum, a few scattered on propodeal dorsum, a row of hairs on lateral margin of declivity and from upper half of lateral portion to dorsolateral angle of petiolar node, two rows of hairs at about middle and near posterior margin of first four gastral tergites. Pubescence on dorsum of head and mesosoma longer than those on gastral tergites; hairs of pubescence set closer on head capsule but further apart from mesosoma to gaster. Integument dully bicolor: head, mesosoma, and petiolar node yellowish orange, gastral segments anteriorly yellowish and posteriorly black; antennal scape and other appendages yellowish and funiculus dark brown.

Major worker. Characteristics of minor worker, except: head larger and subquadrate (CS: 1.71±0.06, 1.66– 1.78; CWb/CL: 0.88±0.01, 0.86–0.89); lateral margins straight, suddenly converging near base of mandible; posterior margin broadly convex. Mandible more robust and armed with seven to eight teeth. Median portion of clypeus elongate (ClyL/GPD: 0.90±0.03, 0.87–0.93), anteromedian margin broadly rounded. Eyes smaller relative to head size (EL/CS: 0.21±0.01, 0.20–0.22); with head in full-face view, located medially farther from lateral cephalic border (CWb/CL: 0.88±0.01, 0.86–0.89; CW/CL: 0.83±0.02, 0.81–0.85), their level of posterior margins placed roughly at posterior fourth of head capsule (PoOc/CL: 0.22±0.06, 0.13–0.26). Scape short, merely extending beyond posterior cephalic margin. Promesonotal dorsum domelike, posterior portion of outline sloping to the impressed metanotal groove, making propodeal dorsum at lower level; propodeal dorsum as long as or shorter than declivity height. Posteromedian portion of head finely and densely reticulate punctate; lateral portion from near base of mandible to near posterior margin finely and densely areolate, superimposed with sparse, and poorly delimited punctures, in which two to seven smaller punctures are embedded and from which one appressed hair arises medially. Dorsum of mesosoma finely and densely reticulate punctate and lateral portion finely areolate; gastral tergites finely imbricate to finely strigulate.

Discussion. See discussion under C. efitra .

The grouping of C. maintikibo in the same cluster shown by the dendrogram of multivariate morphometric analysis is confirmed by the cumulative LDA at 100% identification success, corroborating the species hypothesized by the taxonomic revision based on qualitative morphology. In the dendrogram, the C. maintikibo cluster is grouped next to the C. descarpentriesi and C. madagascarensis clusters, which indicates that the three species are more similar to each other than other species. However, the latter two species belong to the niveosetosus species group whereas C. maintikibo qualitatively belongs to the grandidieri species group, whose members look very similar to C. maintikibo . This suggests that both species groups could be combined into one.

Distribution and biology. Known only from Madagascar, C. maintikibo occurs in the dry forests and transitional areas of Andohahela National Park and in the spiny forest and thicket of TsimanampetsotsaNational Park in the southern portion of Madagascar. In these localities, workers were found foraging on the ground and were collected from Malaise or pitfall traps. The species co-occurs with C. efitra and two widespread species C. grandidier and C. voeltzkowii .

Additional material examined. MADAGASCAR: Province Toliara: Anosy Region, District of Amboasary , Andohahela National Park Parcelle III, Ihazofotsy , 32 km NE Amboasary, -24.83083, 46.53617, 58 m, dry forest, spiny forest, (Michael Irwin, Frank Parker, Rin'ha) ( CASC) ; Anosy Region, District of Fort-Dauphin , Andohahela National Park Parcelle II, Tsimela , 42 km W of Fort-Dauphin, -24.93683, 46.62667, 177 m, transition forest, (Michael Irwin, Frank Parker, Rin'ha) ( CASC) ; Parc National d'Andohahela, Forêt de Manatalinjo , 33.6 km 63° ENE Amboasary, 7.6 km 99° E Hazofotsy, -24.81694, 46.61, 150 m, spiny forest/thicket, (Fisher, Griswold et al.) ( CASC) ; Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa, Forêt de Bemanateza , 20.7 km 81° E Efoetse, 23.0 km 131° SE Beheloka, -23.99222, 43.88067, 90 m, spiny forest/thicket, (Fisher, Griswold et al.) ( CASC) ; Andohaela National Park, Tsimelahy , -24.93683, 46.62667, 180 m, transition forest, (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin'Hala) ( CASC) ; Ihazofotsy - Parcel III, Andohahela National Park, transition forest, Tulear Province , -24.83483, 46.48683, 80 m, tropical dry forest, transition between spiny and dry deciduous forests, (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin'Hala) ( CASC) ; Tsimelahy - Parcel II, Andohahela National Park, transition forest, Tulear Province , -24.93683, 46.62667, 180 m, transition forest, (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin'Hala) ( CASC) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Body in lateral view. A: C. maintikibo (CASENT 0763877). B: C. efitra (CASENT 0453926). C: C. grandidieri (CASENT 0060136).