Camponotus libanicus Andre , 1881

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 libanicus Andre, 1881 Figs 19 , 20 , 31 , 32

Camponotus (Orthonotomyrmex) libanicus André, 1881: 54, pl. 3, figs 14, 15 (w.). Syntype worker, Lebanon (MNHN) [Syntype worker images examined, AntWeb, CASENT0913700, photos by Will Ericson, available on https://www.AntWeb.org].

= Camponotus (Orthonotomyrmex) libanicus r. sahlbergi Forel, 1913: 435 (s.w.); Radchenko 1996: 1197, as a synonym of C. libanicus . Syntype worker, Bolkar Mountains, Turkey (MHNG) [Syntype workers images examined, AntWeb, CASENT0910441, and CASENT0910440, photos by Zach Lieberman, available on https://www.AntWeb.org].

= Camponotus (Myrmentoma) nadimi Tohmé, 1969: 6, figs 3, 4 (s.w.) syn. nov. [types unavailable].

Diagnosis.

Head, mesosoma, and gaster uniformly black; metanotal groove absent; propodeum without posterior protrusion; body densely punctate, appears dull; base of scape without extension; whole body bears long, thick, pale, dense and erect setae, and short appressed microsetae; petiolar scale thick (PI <1.42).

Distribution.

The species is known from Lebanon ( André 1881, Tohmé 1969) and Cyprus: Limassol and Girne. It was also recorded from Adana, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Hatay, Karaman, and Mersin provinces in Turkey ( Forel 1913; Emery 1915; Bolu and Özgen 2018), Israel ( Ionescu-Hirsch 2010) and Iran ( Paknia et al. 2010). Record from Greece: Aegean Islands by Legakis (2011) is based on unpublished manuscript ( Taylor and Clee 2008) and is likely based on a misidentification. Recent research on the ant fauna of the Aegean Islands has not confirmed the occurrence of this species in Greece. Additionally, the old record from İzmir in Turkey ( Forel 1911) is doubtful as it was published before the description of C. aegaeus and it is located 500 km West of all the recently known localities of this species.

Comments.

Camponotus libanicus belongs to the species with mesosoma evenly convex in profile, not interrupted by the metanotal groove. It is very similar to C. aegaeus and differs by having a thick petiolar scale with PI <1.42, which in C. aegaeus is thinner at PI> 1.50. See also comments in C. aegaeaus .

In the description of C. nadimi from Lebanon, Tohmé (1969) compared this species with C. libanicus . The author noted that C. nadimi is distinctly polymorphic, while C. libanicus was considered as almost monomorphic. Additionally, C. nadimi was differentiated from C. libanicus based on the presence of emargination on the anterior margin of the clypeus and a thinner petiole. Ionescu-Hirsch (2010) was the first to suggest that the characters mentioned in the description overlap with intraspecific variability observed within populations of C. libanicus . Our observations confirm this and, additionally, samples investigated during our study consisted of distinctly polymorphic specimens. Therefore, we consider C. nadimi a junior synonym of C. libanicus . Minimum temperature of the coldest month was the variable that contributed most to the distribution model. Highly suitable areas are indicated specially along the coast of Turkey, Cyprus, Crete and Eastern Mediterranean conifer forests.

Figures

Figures 17 - 22. Workers in lateral view 17, 19, 21 major 18, 20, 22 minor: 17, 18 Camponotus aegaeus Emery 19, 20 C. libanicus Andre 21, 22 C. aktaci Karaman.

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.