Camponotus tanosy Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2018

Rakotonirina, Jean Claude & Fisher, Brian L., 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Mayria (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology, Zootaxa 4438 (1), pp. 1-58 : 54-57

Camponotus tanosy Rakotonirina & Fisher sp. n.

( Figures 7A , 34 , 42 )

Holotype worker. Madagascar: Province Tokiara , Anosy Region, Anosyenne Mts, 31.2 km NW Manantenina, - 24.13894, 47.06804, 1125 m, ex rotten log, rainforest, 26 Feb 2015, (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.), collection code: BLF36510, specimen code: CASENT0803890 ( CASC).

Paratypes. 7 minor workers and 1 major worker with same data as holotype but with specimen codes: CASENT0803889, CASENT0803891, CASENT0803892, CASENT0803893, CASENT0803894 (major), CASENT0803895, CASENT0393312, CASENT0804650 ( CASC, BMNH, MHNG, MSNG, PBZT).

Diagnosis. Median portion of clypeus without longitudinal carina; mandible with five teeth; anteromedian margin of clypeus not covered with lamella; antennal scape covered with sub-erect short hairs; in lateral view, petiolar node higher than long; junction of propodeal dorsum and declivity surface at an obtuse angle.

Description. Minor worker. In full-face view, head elongate, rectangular, with broadly convex posterior margin. Anteromedian clypeal margin broadly convex and not covered with lamella. Eyes breaking lateral outlines of head, their posterior margins located well behind the mid-length of the head (PoOc/CL: 0.30±0.01; 0.28–0.31). Mandible triangular, apical margin with five sharp teeth. Antennal scape long, roughly its distal half extending beyond posterior cephalic border. In lateral view, pronotum and anterior portion of mesonotum slightly convex; posterior portion of mesonotum and propodeum more or less straight and rounding to the declivity surface; propodeal dorsum generally twice as long as height of declivity. Petiolar node higher than long, its dorsal margin rounding to anterior face.

One pair of elongate, stout, erect hairs near the posterior margin of head and a pair each on the pronotum, at the junction of propodeal dorsum & declivity and on the posterodorsal margin of the petiole; a few short appressed hairs present on mesosomal dorsum. Antennal scape with abundant sub-erect, short hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, gastral segments, and antennal scape generally black; trochanter and distal portion of coxa and first four gastral sternites whitish-yellow; femur, funiculus, tibia, and tarsus light brown to brown.

Major worker. With characteristics of minor worker except: broader head, mesosoma much more robust with distinct metanotum; promesonotum slightly convex; propodeal dorsum more or less straight and rounding to the declivity surface; petiolar node tapering dorsally.

Discussion. See discussion under C. raina and C. sada .

The identification of C. tanosy based on conventional morphology-based taxonomy has been confirmed by multivariate morphometrics. The grouping of the samples of C. tanosy generated by the NC-clustering method is corroborated by LDA with a classification success of 100%.

Distribution and biology. Camponotus tanosy is only known from the rainforests of the Anosyenne Mountains in the Anosy region of Madagascar. Its nest sites are mostly in rotten logs and rarely under moss on live trees.

Additional material examined. Province Toliara: Anosy Region, Anosyenne Mts , 31.2 km NW Manantenina, 1125 m, -24.13894, 47.06804, rainforest, (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.) ( CASC) ; Anosy Region, Anosyenne Mts , 31.2 km NW Manantenina, 1315 m, -24.13632, 47.05485, rainforest, (B.L. Fisher, F.A. Esteves et al.) ( CASC) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Anterior portion of the head in full-face view. A: C. tanosy (CASENT0803890). B: C. maculiventris (CASENT0082042).

FIGURE 34. Camponotus tanosy minor worker CASENT0803890. A: lateral view. B: head in full-face view. C: dorsal view.

FIGURES 35–42. Distribution maps of Camponotus subgenus Mayria in Madagascar. Fig. 35: C. maculiventris, Fig. 36: C. mainty, Fig. 37: C. manabo, Fig. 38: C. pulcher, Fig. 39: C. raina, Fig. 40: C. repens, Fig. 41: C. sada, Fig. 42: C. tanosy.