Camponotus laevigatus (F. Smith)

Ward, Philip S. & Boudinot, Brendon E., 2021, Grappling with homoplasy: taxonomic refinements and reassignments in the ant genera Camponotus and Colobopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 79, pp. 37-56 : 37

3.2.2. Camponotus laevigatus (F. Smith) Fig. 7A-D

Formica laevigata F. Smith, 1858: 55. Lectotype worker, California, United States ( BMNH) [examined via image on AntWeb: CASENT0903603]

Camponotus laevigatus (F. Smith); Roger, 1863: 5. Combination in Camponotus .

Camponotus (Camponotus) laevigatus (F. Smith); Forel, 1914: 266. Placement in Camponotus (Camponotus) .

Camponotus (Camponotus) laevigatus (F. Smith); Mackay, 2019: 246. Lectotype worker designated.

Camponotus (Camponotus) quercicola M. R. Smith, 1954: 211. Holotype worker, Tanbark Flat, Los Angeles County, California (T. C. Lawrence) ( USNM) [examined]. Syn. nov.

Camponotus quercicola M. R. Smith; Gadau et al., 1999. Description of male and queen. Biology and distribution.

Mackay (2019) discovered that the types of this species in BMNH-a syntype dealate queen and syntype major worker, the latter designated by him as lectotype-do not correspond to the species that has come to be known in the literature as Camponotus laevigatus . That species, given the new name Ca. laevissimus Mackay, is easily recognized by its shiny, iridescent blue-black integument and abundant and bright white standing pilosity on most of the body, including the scapes and tibiae (Fig. 7E, F ). The real Camponotus laevigatus is a shiny black species, with relatively sparse standing pilosity, inconspicuous pubescence, slender scape base, and ecarinate clypeus. Examination of the lectotype image (Fig. 7A, B ) shows that Camponotus laevigatus is conspecific with Ca. quercicola , a widespread California species that nests in the trunks and branches of oak trees ( Gadau et al. 1999) (Fig. 7C, D ). Mackay (2019) claimed that Ca. laevigatus differs from Ca. quercicola in having reduced pilosity on the head, but the lectotype is an old specimen in which the hairs are evidently abraded. Note the asymmetry in presence of hairs on the two sides of the head in the AntWeb image (e.g., short setae present on the left malar region but not on the right side) (Fig. 7A ). Moreover, the amount of standing pilosity shows considerable variation in workers of Ca. quercicola , including setation on the malar region ( Smith 1954; Gadau et al. 1999). We have examined a large series of Camponotus quercicola from throughout California, and we find that the type of Ca. laevigatus falls easily within the range of variation exhibited by this species. Mackay (2019: 321) also stated that the male and queen of Ca. quercicola (now Ca. laevigatus ) are unknown, but this is incorrect: they were described and illustrated by Gadau et al. (1999) and compared with related species.

Figures

Figure 7. Camponotus workers, full-face (dorsal) views of head (A, C, E) and lateral views of body (B, D, F); scale bars = 1.0 mm. A, B: Camponotus laevigatus, lectotype (CASENT 0903603). C, D: Camponotus quercicola, paratype (MCZ-ENT 00029334), image from MCZbase (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, copyright President and Fellows of Harvard College). E, F: Camponotus laevissimus (CASENT 0280010). Images A, B, E, F from AntWeb (www. antweb. org); photographer Will Ericson.