Camponotus ihazofotsy, 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 ihazofotsy sp. nov.

Figures 46B , 68

Holotype worker.

Madagascar, Province Toliara, Ihazofotsy - Parcel III, Andohahela National Park, -24.83483, 46.48683, 80 m, tropical dry forest, transition between spiny and dry deciduous forests, Malaise traps, 26 January- 03 March 2003 (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala), collection code: MA-02-21-08, specimen code: CASENT0062675 (CAS). Paratypes. Two workers with same data as holotype but collection code: MA-02-21-01, specimen codes: CASENT0062267 and CASENT0062269 (CAS)

Worker diagnosis.

Integument shiny black; standing pilosity sparse elsewhere; clypeus with short, rounded lobe; mesonotal suture impressed; petiole nodiform; gaster longer than mesosoma.

Note.

Habitat: eucalyptus plantation, grassland, savanna grassland, Uapaca forest, Uapaca woodland, urban/garden. Altitude: 1300-1987 m. Province: Antananarivo. Microhabitat: sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), under stones, on low vegetation, ex soil, ground forager(s), ground nest. Method: MW 20 sample transect, 10 m; SD 20 digging sample transect, 10 m; 20 sardine and ground tuna fish bait; Malaise, 2 traps.

Description of minor worker.

Small-sized species. Absolute cephalic size (CS: 0.78 ± 0.12; 0.75-0.81). In full-face view, head ovate, usually somewhat longer than broad, lateral margin of head straight and tapering to front (CWb/CL: 0.34 ± 0.01, 0.34-0.35). Eye subelliptical, protruding, its border smoothly aligned to lateral margins of head (PoOC/CL: 0.09 ± 0.03, 0.08-0.10). Mandibles triangular with six teeth. Anterior clypeal margin not produced, entire, broadly rounded. Antennal scape long, surpassing the occiput by the length of two basal funiculi (SL/CS: 0.35 ± 0.03, 0.34-0.36). In lateral view, mesosoma without anterolateral margination, promesonotum distinctly convex, mesopropodeal suture deeply impressed so that propodeum dorsum is raised to the level of mesopropodeal suture, propodeum angular in profile, with unequal basal and declivitous faces, the former horizontal, the latter straight to evenly concave (MW/ML: 0.18 ± 0.01, 0.17-0.18; MPH/ML: 0.10 ± 0.01, 0.10-0.10). In lateral view, petiole cuneate, its anterior face convex, its posterior face more flattened. 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 of petiole. Head and mesosoma reddish, legs light brown, basal face of first gastral segment light brown, and the remaining segment dark brown to black.

Distribution and biology.

Camponotus ihazofotsy is known from the dry forest of Tsimanapetsotsa and Andohaela NP (Fig. 72B ). We assume that this species is arboreal because all samples were collected from Malaise traps.

Discussion.

Camponotus ihazofotsy closely resembles C. tsimelahy , although morphological examination reveals a number of distinguishing characters. The most interesting character is the form and length of the petiolar scale; in C. ihazofotsy the petiole is cuboidal (anterior and posterior face about the same height), while in C. tsimelahy the posterior face is higher than the anterior face. In addition, these two species are sympatric at one site, Ihazofotsy. Molecular phylogenetic analysis provides strong evidence that they represent separate lineages (unpublished data).

Etymology.

The species epithet refers to the type locality.

Additional material examined.

Province Toliara: Tsimanampetsotsa National Park , Mitoho Forest, Malaise across trail at escarpment base, -24.0485, 43.75233, 120 m, dense dry forest and transition forest (MG) (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 46. Head in full-face view A C. tsimelahy (CASENT 0446651) B C. ihazofotsy (CASENT 0062675).

Figure 68. Camponotus ihazofotsy minor worker (CASENT 0062675) 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