Camponotus ellioti Forel, 1891

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 ellioti Forel

Figures 2A , 8A , 38B , 63

Camponotus ellioti Forel, 1891: 37, 73. Holotype minor worker, Madagascar, collection Henri de Saussure. AntWeb CASENT0101382 (MHNG) (examined).

Camponotus (Myrmepomis) ellioti Forel, 1912: 92; Emery, 1920: 258.

Camponotus (Myrmopiromis) ellioti Wheeler, 1922: 1052; Emery, 1925: 128; Bolton, 1995: 97, 131.

Camponotus ellioti var. relucens Santschi, 1911: 133. Lectotype two workers, present designation, Madagascar, Toliara Province, Region du Sud-Est Fort-Dauphin (Ch. Alluaudi), AntWeb CASENT0101196 (minor); CASENT0101197 (major) (NHMB).

Camponotus (Myrmopiromis) ellioti var. relucens Wheeler, 1922: 1052; Emery, 1925: 129; Bolton, 1995: 120. Syn. nov.

Diagnosis.

Head and mesosoma reddish brown to dark brown, gaster always dark colored; anterior clypeal margin of clypeus with short, rectangular lobe; pronotal humeri tuberculate, dorsal outline of mesosoma arcuate; gastral tergite with short, decumbent, ochreous setae.

Description of minor worker.

Large-sized species. Absolute cephalic size (CS: 1.85 ± 0.55, 1.45-2.42). In full-face view, head trapezoidal, wider than length of pronotum in dorsal view; occipital margin slightly convex medially, and straight subparallel lateral margin of head (CWb/CL: 0.36 ± 0.03, 0.33-0.39). Eyes elliptical, positioned at the midline of head (PoOC/CL: 0.08 ± 0.01, 0.07-0.09). Mandibles short and triangular with six teeth. Clypeus trapeziform, less convex in profile, sharply carinate along its entire length, with a short, rectangular projection feebly sinuate in the middle (ClyL/GPD: 0.12 ± 0.01, 0.11-0.13). Frontal carina less sinuate and divergent. Antennal scape long and surpassing the occipital corner (SL/CS:0.41 ± 0.07;0.34-0.46). In lateral view, dorsal outline of mesosoma forms a smooth curve, anterodorsal corner of pronotum distinctly shouldered, propodeum rounded, its surface convex and not marginate laterally, declivitous face triangular in posterior view (MW/ML: 0.23 ± 0.03, 0.21-0.25; MPH/ML: 0.18 ± 0.03, 0.16-0.20). Petiolar node squamiform in profile, wider than long, anterodorsal face distinctly flat and inclined forward, posterodorsal face flat, node summit arcuate. First abdominal tergite with vertical anterior face. Entire body (frontal area, dorsal face of mesosoma, scape, and legs) entirely, finely, and densely reticulate-punctate and matte; lateral face of petiole and abdomen transversally striolate. Mandible finely reticulate-punctate and subopaque, with superimposed, abundant punctuation arranged transversally. Ground pilosity yellowish, short, sparse, and dilute on tibia and scape. Short white to yellowish standing hair present on entire dorsum, sparsely distributed on occipital region, regularly present on petiolar dorsum and onto declivity, absent on scape and tibia. Dorsum of gastral segment with appressed ochreous setae and whitish, suberect hairs arranged serially parallel and longitudinally. Head and mesosoma dark brown to reddish brown; mandible, basal half of scape, basitarsus, and gastral segment reddish.

Description of major worker.

Characteristics of minor workers, except: head as long as broad, with rather straight posterior and lateral borders (CS: 4.13 ± 0.16, 3.90-4.33; CWb/CL: 1.04 ± 0.02, 1.01-1.07). Eyes circular, placed dorsally next to lateral borders (PoOC/CL: 0.28 ± 0.01, 0.26-0.29). Anterior clypeal margin forms a rectangular lobe (ClyL/GPD: 0.87 ± 0.05, 0.79-0.92). Antennal scape short, not reaching the occipital border (SL/CS: 0.61 ± 0.02, 0.58-0.65). Promesonotal suture strongly marked.

Distribution and biology.

Camponotus ellioti occurs in the dry forest regions of the southeast of Madagascar in habitats such as bush, coastal scrub, and coastal spiny bush on sandy soil, Euphorbia forest, spiny bush and thicket, gallery forest, and riparian scrub (Fig. 70C ). It has been collected from sifted litter and Malaise traps. The altitudes of these localities range from 5 to 230 meters.

Discussion.

Camponotus ellioti is a distinctive species recognizable by the submargined anterolateral corner of the pronotum and the gaster covering of thick, blunt hairs the color of rust. In the traditional classification, C. ellioti is considered a member of the C. darwinii species group based on the density and color of the gastral pilosity and the sculpture pattern; however, we propose color as a character difference between these two groups.

Additional material examined.

Province Toliara: [ Région du Sud Andrahomana, Museum Paris, Ch. Alluaud 1901]; Analapatsa I; Taolagnaro, -25.1833333, 46.6666667, 31 m, (NHMB); [Toliara S.W. Madagascar]; Beronono; Mahabo, -21, 45, 339 m (Voeltzkow) (MHNG); 3.5km 236° SW Marovato, -25.55389, 45.25583, 230 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); 5 km N Ampotaka, Malaise on trail in Vitambany gallery forest, -24.65033, 43.96317, 86 m, gallery forest (MG) (CAS); 7.0 km 156° SSE Lavanono, -25.47111, 44.9885, 50 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); Ambohimahavelona village 33 km NE of Toliara, Andoharano, dry forest, -23.44083, 43.89967, 46 m, dry forest (MG) (CAS); Andranovato, 5 km SE of Manombo, -22.81806, 43.50217, 18 m, Euphorbia forest (CAS); Androy Region , District of Tsihombe , 74 km S of Tsihombe, Cap Sainte Marie Reserve , -25.58767, 45.163, 36 m, spiny bush (MG) (CAS); Anosy Region , District of Amboasary , 58 km SW of Fort Dauphin, 8 km NW of Amboasary, Berenty Special Reserve , -25.00667, 46.30333, 85 m, gallery forest (MG) (CAS); Atsimo-Andrefana Region , Antsokay Arboretum, -23.41491, 43.75499, 13 m, spiny forest/thicket (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.) (CAS); Atsimo-Andrefana Region , Famata 02, -23.45314, 43.76448, 20 m, coastal spiny bush on sandy soil (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.) (CAS); Atsimo-Andrefana Region , Famata04, -23.53922, 43.77935, 20 m, riparian scrub (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.) (CAS); Foret de Petriky , 12.5 km W 272° Tolagnaro, -25.06167, 46.87, 10 m, littoral rainforest (B.L. Fisher) (CAS); Libanona beach, Tolagnaro, -25.03883, 46.996, 20 m, coastal scrub (BLF) (CAS); Mahafaly Plateau, 6.2 km 74° ENE Itampolo, -24.65361, 43.99667, 80 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); Mikea Forest , spiny forest, -22.91333, 43.48222, 37 m, spiny forest (R. Harin’Hala) (CAS); Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa , 6.7 km 130° SE Efoetse, 23.0 km 175° S Beheloka, -24.10056, 43.76, 25 m, spiny forest/thicket (FishFGAT) (CAS); Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa , Foret de Bemanateza , 20.7 km 81° E Efoetse , 23.0 km 131° SE Beheloka, -23.99222, 43.88067, 90 m, spiny forest/thicket (FiFGAT) (CAS); Ranobe, -23.04457, 43.61532, 20 m, spiny forest/thicket (Frontier Wilderness Project) (CAS); Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt d’Anjapolo, 21.4 km 325° NW Amboasary, -24.92972, 46.20967, 65 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); Reserve Speciale de Cap Sainte Marie , 12.3 km 262° W Marovato, -25.58167, 45.16833, 200 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); Reserve Speciale de Cap Sainte Marie , 14.9 km 261° W Marovato, -25.59444, 45.14683, 160 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS); Tolagnaro (= Fort Dauphin ), -25.03333, 47, 5 m, littoral vegetation (B.L. Fisher) (CAS); Tolagnaro (= Ft. Dauphin), -25.04611, 47, 30 m, garden, hotel (D.M. Olson) (PSWC) ; Toliara, -23.3575, 43.669, 20 m, urban/garden (BLF) (CAS); Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Mitoho Forest, Malaise across trail at escarpment base, -24.0485, 43.75233, 120 m, dense dry forest and transitional forest (MG) (CAS); Tsimelahy - Parcel II, Andohahela National Park , transitional forest , Toliara Province, -24.93683, 46.62667, 180 m, transition forest (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala) (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 2. Morphological characters of workers of the subgenus Camponotus Mayria. Pronotum in lateral view A C. repens (CASENT 0217300) B C. maintikibo (CASENT 0062631) C C. alamaina (CASENT 0481799) Pronotal disc in dorsal view D C. repens (CASENT 0217300) E C. bevohitra (CASENT 0437238) F C. nossibeensis (CASENT 0191657) G C. ursus (CASENT 0217284) head of major in full-face view H C. ellioti (CASENT 0450893) I C. andrianjaka (CASENT 0159208) J C. repens (CASENT 0491956).

Figure 8. Morphological character of minor and major workers of C. ellioti species group A head of minor worker of C. ellioti (CASENT 0450893) B minor worker of C. maintikibo in lateral view (CASENT 0062631) C head of major worker of C. maintikibo (CASENT 0062173) D minor worker of C. andrianjaka in lateral view (CASENT 0243690).

Figure 38. Body in lateral view A C. maintikibo (CASENT 0763877) B C. ellioti (CASENT 0450893).

Figure 63. Camponotus ellioti minor worker (CASENT 0450893) 1 body in lateral view 2 head in full-face view 3 body in dorsal view.

Figure 70. Distribution maps of C. antsaraingy species group A C. antsaraingy; C. efitra species group B C. chrislaini, C. ellioti species group C C. ellioti. D C. andrianjaka. E C. maintilany and C. madagascarensis species group F C. ivadia