Camponotus hova Forel, 1891

Collingwood, C. A., Pohl, F., Güsten, R., Wranik, W., van Harten, A., 2004, The ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra Archipelago, Fauna of Arabia 20, pp. 473-495 : 489-491

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 0.5281/zenodo.12560
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6269298
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/722E5921-3766-9D2C-B47D-B4EE729085D8
treatment provided by	Donat
scientific name	Camponotus hova Forel, 1891
status

Treatment

Camponotus hova Forel, 1891 View in CoL View at ENA Figs 18, 21

Camponotus rubripes r. maculatus var. hova Forel, 1886 . - Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 30: 150 (name unavailable). (Madagascar).

Camponotus maculatus r. hova Forel, 1891 . - Histoire Physique, Naturelle, et Politique de Madagascar 20: 35.

Camponotus maculatus (Fabricius, 1782) . - Kohl 1907: 282 (misidentified).

Camponotus hova . - Collingwood 1985: 277; Collingwood & van Harten 1994: 39; Collingwood & Agosti 1996: 373.

Specimens examined: Yemen, Socotra Island:spms from Adho Dimello , IV.1967, K.M. Guichard, NHMB ; spms from Nojid , 16.IV.1993, A. van Harten, CCC ; spms from Farmihin , X.1998, W. Wranik, CWWR ; nest sample, Adho Dimello, base camp, 12°34'N 54°02'E, 940 m, 03.II.1999, H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2101 , NHCY GoogleMaps ; 1 large ☿, same data, NHCY ; 5 ☿☿, coast road east of Hadibo, coastal sand dunes , 12°36'N 54°21'E, 04-06.II.1999, H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2102 , NHCY GoogleMaps ; 1 small ☿, Diksam Plateau , 12°32'N 53°59 E, 1020 m, pitfall trap, 22-24.II.1999, H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2103 ; spms from Hasaant , 29.XI.1999, W. Wranik, CWWR ; 1 small ☿, 2 large ☿ ☿, Za’pad, XI.1999, FCUA ; spms from Hoq , 13.II.2000, W. Wranik, CWWR ; 1 ♂, Diksam, camp , 12°31'N 53°57'E, 26-27.X.2000, H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2104 GoogleMaps ; 4 ☿☿, Wadi Daneghan , 12°37N 54°04'E, 90 m, pitfall traps, 28-30.X.2000, A. van Harten & H. Pohl, HLMD-Hym-2105 , NHCY ; 1 large ☿, 1 ♂, Nit , X.2000, V. Bejcek & K. Sfastny, FCUA ; 1 small ☿, 1 large ☿, Homhil , 12°35 N 54°18'E, 330 m, 20-21.XI.2000, V. Bejcek & K. Sfastny, FCUA ; 4 ♂ ♂, Wadi Fahr , 12°26'N 54°12'E, 70 m, 01.IV.2001, V. Bejcek & K. Sfastny, FCUA GoogleMaps . - Yemen, Samha Island: spms from coastal area , 08.II.2000, W. Wranik, CWWR . - Yemen, Abd al-Kuri Island: spms from coastal plain , 18.II.1999, W. Wranik, CWWR .

Remarks: Occurring throughout the island complex off the African coast in the Indian Ocean, this species can be regarded as a Malagasy faunal element. It has a superficial resemblance to the Afrotropical C. maculatus , but differs in the reduced number of ventral head hairs, less clearly defined pale spots on the gaster and generally smaller size. The old record of Camponotus maculatus for Socotra (Kohl 1907), based on specimens collected in 1899 by the expedition of the Vienna museum, should certainly be referred to C. hova . Small workers of C. atlantis and C. hova may be uniformly pale and difficult to distinguish, but the spines on the hind tibiae of C. hova are absent in C. atlantis (Figs 17-18). In addition, large workers of C. atlantis usually lack the two to six suberect hairs present on the underside of the head in C. hova .

As the largest ants present on Socotra, a separate name for C. hova and C. atlantis - “kazer” - is used in the native language.