Camponotus kubaryi, Mayr

Ronald M. Clouse, Benjamin D. Blanchard, Rebecca Gibson, Ward C. Wheeler & Milan Janda, 2016, Taxonomic updates for some confusing Micronesian species of Camponotus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae), Myrmecological News 23, pp. 139-152 : 147

Camponotus kubaryi stat. rev. MAYR, 1876

( Figs. 11, 12, 14 ; Tab. 2 )

Combination in Camponotus (Myrmoturba): FOREL 1914.

Combination in Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex): EMERY 1925.

Subspecies of Camponotus maculatus: EMERY 1896.

Subspecies of Camponotus irritans: EMERY 1920, KARAVAIEV 1929.

Comments: MAYR' S (1876) description of this species consists of a few lines that describe it as 7.5 ­ 9.5 mm long, reddish­brown, and with a darker head, mandibles, and antennae, plus some description of characters that do little to distinguish it beyond being in the genus Camponotus. Although this species is restricted to the islands of the Republic of Palau, which constitute an area of less than 500 km 2 over 800 km away from any major landmass, it still shows noticeable morphological variation (for example, the head shapes and colors of syntypes shown in Figs. 11, 12 ). This may be due to the fact that the country is comprised of over 200 small limestone islands, which may divide this species into many somewhat isolated populations. Nonetheless, despite variation in tone and shade, and the degree to which the head is tapered and the vertex concave, it is the only Camponotus in Micronesia with a large, dark head, and its restriction to Palau makes identification straightforward. Still, we add to the original description this summary from our morphological examinations, combining syntypes and modern specimens. Majors: EL 0.59 (range 0.56 ­ 0.60), EW 0.43 (0.40 ­ 0.45), FCL 1.49 (1.45 ­ 1.55), HL 2.75 (2.56 ­ 2.95), HW 2.60 (2.40 ­ 2.75), ML 3.35 (3.16 ­ 3.55), MTL 2.02 (1.97 ­ 2.10), PH 0.96 (0.73 ­ 1.10), PL 0.72 (0.56 ­ 0.85), SL 2.15 (2.10 ­ 2.20); CI 94 (93 ­ 96), SI 83 (80 ­ 88); mesosoma medium yellow, head and gaster much darker, approaching black; head tapering and vertex distinctly concave; standing hairs present on propleuron and hind femur. Minors: EL 0.46 (0.45 ­ 0.46), EW 0.36 (0.35 ­ 0.36), FCL 1.17 (1.1 0 ­ 1.24), HL 1.71 (1.60 ­ 1.82), HW 1.35 (1.20 ­ 1.50), ML 2.73 (2.45 ­ 3.00), MTL 2.09 (1.70 ­ 2.48), PH 0.77 (0.70 ­ 0.84), PL 0.48 (0.36 ­ 0.60), SL 2.01 (2.00 ­ 2.02); CI 79 (75 ­ 82), SI 150 (134 ­ 167); mesosoma light yellow, head and gaster much darker, approaching black; head tapering and vertex convex.

These characters match those of three other specimens not used in this study but described in CLOUSE (2007 a) un­ der the species code "sp. 1945 ". One of the majors is shown in Figure 14, and the specimens can now be securely identified as C. kubaryi stat. rev. The two majors had total lengths of 8.2 and 7.9 mm, matching MAYR' S original description, and the following other measurements are very similar to those of the specimens we examined here: HL 3.00, HW 2.83, SL 2.30, CI 94, and SI 81 for the larger specimen, and HL 2.73, HW 2.63, SL 2.07, CI 96, and SI 87 for the smaller. Likewise, the minor specimen of "sp. 1945 " is very similar to the ones here: HL 1.77, HW 1.33, SL 1.77, CI 75, and SI 133.

Figures

Figs. 11 ­ 16: Syntypes of Camponotus kubaryi stat. rev. (11 ­ 12; CASENT 0904012 and CASENT 091015 3, from www. AntWeb. org, photographs by Zach Lieberman), holotype of C. micronesicus sp. n. (13), specimen of C. kubaryi stat. rev. collected from Peliliu Is. (14; CASENT 01 73088, from www. AntWeb. org, photograph by April Nobile), and syntypes of C. chloroticus from New Guinea (15) and Tonga (16). Scale bar in Fig. 13 applicable to Figures 11 ­ 16.