Camponotus claveri, Rasoamanana & Fisher, 2022

Rasoamanana, Nicole & Fisher, Brian L., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Malagasy endemic subgenus Mayria of the genus Camponotus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on qualitative morphology and quantitative morphometric analyses, ZooKeys 1081, pp. 137-231 : 137

Camponotus claveri sp. nov.

Figures 44B , 67

Holotype worker.

Madagascar, Province Fianarantsoa, Forêt d’ Atsirakambiaty, 7.6 km 285° WNW Itremo, -20.59333, 46.56333, 1550 m, montane rainforest, Malaise trap, 22-26 January 2003 (BLF), collection code: BLF07152, specimen code: CASENT0490618 (CAS). Paratypes. Three workers: one worker with same data as holotype but specimen collected from Malaise trap and with collection code: BLF07155, specimen code: CASENT0049849; two workers from Madagascar, Province Fianarantsoa, Mampiarika IV Non Protected Area, 27.98 km SW Ambositra, -20.73528, 47.08382, 1486 m, Uapaca woodland, 03-07 February 2010 (ARA), collection code: ARA0492, specimen code: CASENT0168788 and CASENT0168787 (CAS).

Worker diagnosis.

Integument shiny black; anterior clypeal margin with short, subtriangular lobe; erect hairs arranged in a transverse row on gastral segment, sparsely arranged on mesosoma dorsum; dorsum of mesosoma with promesonotal and mesometanotal sutures marked but not impressed; petiole squamiform.

Description of minor worker.

Medium-sized species. Absolute cephalic size (CS: 0.89 ± 0.08, 0.84-0.93). In full-face view, head as long as wide, posterior margin rounded, lateral margin straight and subparallel (CWb/CL: 0.33 ± 0.02, 0.32-0.34). Eye circular, protruding, its border smoothly aligned to lateral margins of head (PoOC/CL: 0.10 ± 0.02, 0.08-0.10). Mandibles triangular with six teeth. Clypeus carinate, its anterior margin produced medially into a subtriangular lobe (ClyL/GPD: 0.23 ± 0.07, 0.20-0.26). Antennal scape long, surpassing the occipital corner by the length of two-and-a-half basal funiculi (SL/CS: 0.39 ± 0.03, 0.37-0.40). In lateral view, mesosoma without anterolateral margination, promesonotum not very convex, mesopropodeal suture impressed, propodeum angular with the base fully twice as long as the declivity, which is straight (MW/ML: 0.18 ± 0.01, 0.18-0.19; MPH/ML: 0.14 ± 0.01, 0.14-0.15). Petiole cuneate in profile, its anterior face convex, and its posterior face flattened along entire broad border. Body finely imbricate. Hairs whitish, one pair present on vertex, middle of mesonotum, and propodeum dorsum; two pairs on each side of lateral corner of propodeum; three pairs on lateral margins on petiole. Head and mesosoma reddish, legs light brown, basal face of first gastral segment light brown and the remaining segment dark brown to black.

Description of major worker.

Characteristics of minor workers, except: head as long as broad, with rather convex posterior borders and subparallel lateral sides (CS: 1.18 ± 0.09, 1.12-1.24, CWb/CL: 0.86 ± 0.01, 0.85-0.87). Eyes circular, placed dorsally next to lateral borders (PoOC/CL: 0.26 ± 0.00, 0.25-0.26). Anterior clypeal margin forms a rounded rectangular lobe (ClyL/GPD: 0.88 ± 0.05, 0.85-0.91). Antennal scape short, just reaching the occipital border (SL/CS: 0.75 ± 0.04, 0.73-0.78). Mesosoma with the same form as minor worker. Sculpture on head coarsely reticulate-punctate anteriorly and tends to be striolate posteriorly.

Distribution and biology.

Camponotus claveri occupies two different habitats: montane rainforest and open habitats such as Uapaca woodland, eucalyptus plantation, shrubland, and deciduous dry forest, plus urban areas (Fig. 72A ). Their nests are found in soil, under stones, and on the ground. It has been collected at elevations of 830-1987 m.

Discussion.

Camponotus claveri is similar to other species of the Camponotus repens group, but differs in having a thinner petiolar node with sharp dorsal edge, and a rounded triangular anterior clypeal margin. Morphometric analysis combined C. claveri and C. maintilany in the same cluster, meaning that they are the same size but have different qualitative morphological traits. Their distributions are quite distant but sympatric at Alasora, situated in the central highlands.

Etymology.

This species is named after the collector Claver Marotafika Randrianandrasana.

Additional material examined.

Province Antananarivo: Alasora, -18.96245, 47.58925, 1434 m, eucalyptus plantation (BLF) (CAS); Antaponimanadala III Non Protected Area , 6.55 km E Manalalondo, -19.25583, 47.17751, 1987 m, savanna grassland (ARA) (CAS); Ilafy, -18.85415, 47.56575, 1385 m, urban/garden (BLF) (CAS). Province Fianarantsoa: Amoron'i Mania Region , District of Ambositra , Italaviana Uapaca forest , 135 km SE of Antsirabe, -20.17333, 47.086, 1359 m, Uapaca forest (MG) (CAS); Ampandravelo II Non Protected Area , 10.78 km NE Ranohira, -22.53917, 45.51548, 87 3m, shrubland (ARA) (CAS); Antapia III Non Protected Area , 26.43 km SW Ambositra, -20.72, 47.08785, 1494 m, Uapaca woodland (ARA) (CAS); Forêt d’ Atsirakambiaty, 7.6 km 285° WNW Itremo, -20.59333, 46.56333, 1550 m, montane rainforest (FGAT) (CAS); Mampiarika III Non Protected Area, 28.93 km SW Ambositra, -20.73583, 47.08399, 1487 m, Uapaca woodland (ARA) (CAS); Mampiarika IV Non Protected Area, 27.98 km SW Ambositra, -20.73528, 47.08382, 1486 m, Uapaca woodland (ARA) (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 44. Mesosoma in lateral view A C. repens (CASENT 0481832) B C. claveri (CASENT 0490618).

Figure 67. Camponotus claveri minor worker (CASENT 0490618) 1 body in lateral view 2 head in full-face view 3 body in dorsal view.

Figure 72. Distribution map of C. repens species group A C. claveri B C. ihazofotsy C C. jjacquia D C. tsimelahy and C. robustus species group E C. zoro