Camponotus laconicus Emery, 1920

Salata, Sebastian, Khalili-Moghadam, Arsalan & Borowiec, Lech, 2020, Review of the Camponotus samius complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Turano-Balkan region, with the description of a new species from Iran, Zootaxa 4763 (4), pp. 545-562 : 554

Camponotus laconicus Emery, 1920

Figs 13–14 , 22–23

Camponotus (Myrmoturba) samius var. laconicus Emery, 1920: 6 . [First available use of Camponotus maculatus subsp. samius var. laconica Emery, 1908: 192 (s.w.), unavailable name.]

Syntype major and minor workers, Taygetos, Kambos, Greece, v.1901, coll. Holz (MHNG) [Syntype major and minor workers images examined, AntWeb, CASENT0905288 and CASENT0905289, photos by Will Ericson, available on AntWeb.org].

Diagnosis. Hind tibia and scape with decumbent to suberect pilosity but without additional erect setae; gena with numerous erect setae; mesosoma, head, and gaster in major and minor workers uniformly black; sometimes legs in minor workers partly reddish brown; gaster in major and minor workers without brighter colouration on its basal part; pilosity on gaster sparse and thin, distance between microsetae is equal to full lengths of microsetae, erect setae very dense; petiolar squama in major workers stout with distinctly convex anterior surface, in minor workers triangular in profile.

Distribution. Greece ( Salata & Borowiec 2018).

Biology. Camponotus laconicus is a rare species, mostly recorded from warm, dry pine forests. It is also occasionally collected from Mediterranean shrubs along roadsides, stream valleys or gorges with plane trees. Nests are always under large stones, often on the sunny and arid edges of forests. Workers are active mainly at dawn.

Figures

FIGURES 13–14. Camponotus laconicus Emery: 13—major worker lateral, 14—minor worker lateral (scale bar = 2mm).

FIGURES 22–25. Head in full-face view: 22, 23 Camponotus laconicus Emery: 22—major worker, 23—minor worker; 24, 25 Camponotus samius Forel: 24—major worker, 25—minor worker (not to scale).