Camponotus bemaheva, Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022

Rakotonirina, Jean Claude & Fisher, Brian L., 2022, Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology, ZooKeys 1098, pp. 1-180 : 1

Camponotus bemaheva sp. nov.

Figs 7B , 13A , 46

Holotype worker.

Madagascar: Province Toliara: PN Zombitse, 19.8 km 84° E Sakaraha, -22.84333, 44.71, 770 m, tropical dry forest, pitfall trap (Fisher, Griswold et al.) 05-09 Feb 2003, collection code: BLF07507, specimen code: CASENT0050097 (CAS).

Additional material examined.

Madagascar: Antsiranana: RS Ankarana, 13.6 km 192° SSW Anivorano Nord, -12.86361, 49.22583, 210 m, tropical dry forest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS). Fianarantsoa: Forêt d’Analalava, 29.6 km 280° W Ranohira, -22.59167, 45.12833, 700 m, tropical dry forest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS); PN Isalo, Sahanafa River, 29.2 km 351° N Ranohira, -22.31333, 45.29167, 500 m, gallery forest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS). Mahajanga: PN Ankarafantsika, Forêt de Tsimaloto, 18.3 km 46° NE de Tsaramandroso, -16.22806, 47.14361, 135 m, tropical dry forest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS). Toliara: 48 km ENE Morondava, -20.06667, 44.65, 30 m, tropical dry forest (D.M. Olson) (PSWC), Androy Region, District of Tsihombe, 74 km S of Tsihombe, RS Cap Ste Marie, -25.58767, 45.163, 36 m, spiny bush ( Rin’Ha, Mike) (CAS); Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Betioky; RS Beza Mahafaly, Parcelle Belle vue, 07 km W of Research Station, -23.68983, 44.5755, 177 m, spiny forest, ( Rin’ha) (CAS); Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Betioky, 30 km E Betioky, RS Beza Mahafaly (Around Research Station), -23.6865, 44.591, 165 m, Galery dry deciduous forest ( Rin’Ha, Mike) (CAS); Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Sakaraha, PN Zombitse; 60 m E of ANGAP Entrance office, -22.8865, 44.69217, 838 m, deciduous spiny forest ( Rin’Ha, Mike) (CAS); Atsimo Andrefana Region, District of Sakaraha, PN Zombitse; 900 m N from ANGAP Entrance office, -22.8405, 44.73117, 823 m, spiny deciduous forest ( Rin’Ha, Mike) (CAS); FC Analavelona, 29.2 km 343° NNW Mahaboboka, -22.675, 44.19, 1100 m, montane rainforest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS); Forét de Kirindy, -20.0671, 44.65723, 50 m (H. Wood & J. Miller) (CAS); Forêt de Kirindy, 15.5 km 64° ENE Marofandilia, -20.06915, 44.66042, 30 m, tropical dry forest (B.L. Fisher et al.) (CAS); Makay Mts., -21.227, 45.33222, 475 m, Gallery forest on sandy soil (B.L. Fisher et al.) (CAS); Manombo, -22.80707, 43.76375, 222 m, gallery forest, TS1 (Frontier Wilderness Project) (CAS); Menabe Region, District of Morondava, Beroboka village 45 km NE of Morondava, Antsarongaza dry forest 07,5 Km E of Beroboka, -19.9775, 44.66633, 50 m, dry forest (M. Irwin, Rin’ha) (CAS); Menabe Region, District of Morondava, Beroboka village, 45 km NE of Morondava, Antsarongaza galery forest, 07 km E of Beroboka, -19.9775, 44.66533, 45 m, Galery forest (M. Irwin, Rin’ha) (CAS); PN Zombitse, 19.8 km 84° E Sakaraha, -22.84333, 44.71, 770 m, tropical dry forest (Fisher, Griswold et al.) (CAS); Vohibasia Forest, 59 km NE Sakaraha, -22.46667, 44.85, 780 m (Sylvain) (CAS); near ANGAP office, PN Zombitse, -22.8865, 44.69217, 840 m, deciduous spiny forest (R. Harin’Hala) (CAS); Parcel I, RS Beza Mahafaly, near research station, -23.6865, 44.591, 165 m, dry deciduous forest (R. Harin’Hala) (CAS).

Diagnosis.

In full-face view, lateral cephalic margins converge posteriorly towards eye level and without erect hairs posterior to eye level; two apical teeth of mandible positioned close to each other.

Description.

Minor worker. In full-face view, head sides converging progressively towards posterior margin; eye convex and large (EL/CL: 0.30 ± 0.01; 0.29-0.34), breaking lateral cephalic borders, level of its posterior margin generally situated at posterior 1/3 to 1/4 of head (PoOc/CL: 0.26 ± 0.01; 0.24-0.28); frontal carinae posteriorly parallel to each other (FR/CS: 0.26 ± 0.01 0.25-0.29); clypeus without well-defined anterolateral angle and with broadly convex anteromedian margin; mandible with six teeth, of which the two apical are close together; antennal scape relatively long (SL/CS: 1.63 ± 0.10; 1.47-1.87) with suberect hairs inclined 30° and pubescence. Promesonotum weakly convex, mesopropodeum almost flat, mesonotum flat immediately anterior to metanotal groove; metanotal groove weakly visible; propodeal dorsum anteriorly convex and posteriorly flat; junction of dorsal margin to declivity rounded; propodeal declivity height 1/2 length of propodeal dorsum; petiole nodiform, its dorsal margin rounding to anterior margin; anterior face 1/2 height of posterior face; tibia of hind leg rounded, not twisted basally.

First and second gastral tergites without a pair of white spots; erect hairs covering lateral margin of head anterior to eye level but absent behind eyes; posterior margin of head with more than six erect hairs; antennal scape with suberect hairs inclined at ca. 30° and pubescence; posterodorsal angle of propodeum with a pair of erect hairs.

Major worker. Unknown

Distribution and biology.

Camponotus bemaheva is restricted to the spiny bush and thicket of the southern region and the dry forest habitats of western Madagascar (Fig. 46D ). The few colony nests that have been found were collected from rotten logs and under stones, but workers have been collected while foraging on the ground or on low vegetation.

Discussion.

Workers of C. bemaheva look very similar to those of C. daraina in that they have closely spaced apical teeth on the mandibles and the lateral margins of their head converge posteriorly towards eye level, but the latter is characterized by the presence of erect hairs on the lateral cephalic margin posterior to eye level.

The alignment of C. bemaheva in the same cluster displayed by the dendrogram of multivariate morphometric method is confirmed by the cumulative LDA at 100% identification success, validating the taxonomy hypothesized by qualitative morphology.

Etymology.

The new species Camponotus bemaheva is a non-Latin proper noun used in apposition and is named in honor of Fidelis Bemaheva for his help collecting ants in the Malagasy region.

Figures

Figure 7. Mandibles in frontal view A C. niavo (CASENT 0300086) B C. bemaheva (CASENT 0153778).

Figure 13. Head in full-face view A C. bemaheva (CASENT 0154158) B C. roeseli (CASENT 0492473).

Figure 46. Camponotus bemaheva A lateral view B head in full-face view C dorsal view of minor worker CASENT 0154158 D distribution map.