Camponotus conspicuus zonatus Emery, 1894

Herrera Léon Baert Wouter Dekoninck, Henri W., Causton, Charlotte E., Sevilla, Christian R., Pozo, Paola & Hendrickx, Frederik, 2020, Distribution and habitat preferences of Galápagos ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 93, pp. 1-60 : 11-13

Camponotus conspicuus zonatus Emery, 1894

( ANTWEB: CASENT0173224). ( Map 8 )

Known from Central America ( Costa Rica) and South America ( Brazil and Ecuador) ( BOLTON et al., 2006; ANTWEB, 2019). This introduced species is widely dispersed in Galápagos and occurs on 24 islands and islets from the littoral to humid zones. The first specimens were collected in 1975 in the Arid Zone of Santa Cruz Island. Camponotus conspicuus zonatus is a polygyne species that nests under rocks, rotten logs, and in and around buildings. It has been observed visiting flowers of Tournefortia rufo –sericea Hook. F, C. lutea , C. pyriformis and Clerodendrum molle Kunth. Reports also exist of tending of I. purchasi for honeydew ( HODDLE et al., 2013). It is common in populated areas of inhabited islands, and can be collected all year round. In the lowlands it can be observed foraging on sandy beaches, between mangrove leaf litter, in branches of C. pyriformis and in patches of Sesuvium spp. It has also been collected in areas with M. octogona , A. germinans , Laguncularia racemosa ( L.) C.F. Gaertn) and in forests of B. graveolens with Scutia spicata (Humb.& Bonpl. ex Schult.) Weberb. It has been collected on Passiflora suberosa , C. scouleri , J. thouarsii , B. graveolens , O. echios , H. mancinella . Ipomoea triloba L., M. laricifolia and Parkinsonia aculeata L. Specimens have been registered in the agricultural zone in crops Solanum lycopersicum L., B. oleracea var. italica , Musa acuminata Colla , Citrus x sinensis ( L.) Osbeck, C. papaya and Cucumis sativus L.

Camponotus conspicuus zonatus is a nocturnal species, common in urban and disturbed zones. It is often confused with C. macilentus (HERRERA unpublished data) and has quickly invaded natural areas in the archipelago. Camponotus conspicuus zonatus appears to have replaced the endemic species C. macilentus in many localities of the archipelago. Collections of this ant from cargo docks, cargo ships and aircrafts suggest several reintroductions to Galápagos.

Figures

Map 8. Distribution of Camponotus conspicuus zonatus Emery, 1894.