Camponotus nitidescens Forel, 1889

Salata, Sebastian, Loss, Ana Carolina, Karaman, Celal, Kiran, Kadri & Borowiec, Lech, 2019, Review of the Camponotus kiesenwetteri group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Aegean with the description of a new species, ZooKeys 899, pp. 85-107 : 85

Camponotus nitidescens Forel, 1889 Figs 4 , 15 , 16 , 33 , 34

Camponotus kiesenwetteri nitidescens Forel, 1889: 260 (w.) Syntype workers, Kefalonia, Greece (MHNG) [syntypes personally investigated, CASENT0910437 and CASENT0910438].

Diagnosis.

Head, mesosoma, and gaster uniformly brownish-black to black; metanotal groove present, shallow; propodeum without protrusions; body punctate, mesosoma with sculpture reduced and its lateral sides at least partially shiny; base of scape without extension; whole body bears long, thick, pale, dense and erect setae, and short appressed microsetae; petiolar scale thick.

Distribution.

Greece: Ionian Islands (Cephalonia) Peloponnese (Lakonia and Messinia), Western Greece (Aetolia-Acarnania).

Comments.

Camponotus nitidescens together with C. schulzi are well distinguished from other species of the C. kiesenwetteri group in the partly reduced sculpture of the mesosoma and gaster with, at least, the lateral sides of mesosoma partly shiny. However, the sculpture is never as shiny as in members of related members of the Camponotus lateralis group. Solar radiation was the variable that contributed the most to the distribution model. Although the known distribution is restricted to the western area of the Aegean region, highly suitable areas are indicated in Crete, northeast coast of Turkey, coast of Syria and Lebanon.

Figures

Figures 1 - 4. 1, 2 Camponotus schulzi sp. nov., major worker: 1 dorsal 2 lateral 3, 4 antennal scape 3 Camponotus schulzi sp. nov. 4 Camponotus nitidescens (arrows indicate the base of scape lacking extension).

Figures 11 - 16. Workers in lateral view 11, 13, 15 major 12, 14, 16 minor: 11, 12 Camponotus boghossiani Forel 13, 14 C. kiesenwetteri (Roger) 15, 16 C. nitidescens Forel.

Figures 31 - 34. Habitat suitability and distribution 31, 32 Camponotus libanicus 33, 34 Camponotus nitidescens 35 distribution of Camponotus schulzi 36 the Aegean with adjacent regions.