Camponotus lubbocki Forel, 1886

Rakotonirina, Jean Claude & Fisher, Brian L., 2022, Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology, ZooKeys 1098, pp. 1-180 : 1

Camponotus lubbocki Forel

Figs 36B , 37B

Diagnosis.

In full-face view, lateral margin of head anterior to eye level diverging posteriorly; anterior clypeal margin truncate; no white spot on dorsum of second and third abdominal tergites; body color black; antennal scape without erect hairs, propodeal dorsum slightly concave.

Distribution and biology.

See the geographic distribution and biology in Rakotonirina and Fisher (2018).

Discussion.

Camponotus lubbocki might be confused with C. liandia but the latter has a broadly convex anteromedian margin of the clypeus. It looks similar to C. immaculatus and C. kelimaso because they too lack white spots on the second and third abdominal segments, but in C. immaculatus the propodeal dorsum is transversely concave and in C. kelimaso the eyes are small and the posterior cephalic margin is approximately straight.

Forel (1912) originally placed C. lubbocki under the subgenus Camponotus Myrmosaga , which was later synonymized by Emery (1925) under Mayria (see also Rakotonirina and Fisher 2018). Whereas this species was recently redescribed under Mayria , it is morphologically similar to those within Myrmosaga because of its broadly projected rectangular clypeus that is medially carinate, and a more or less anteroposteriorly flattened petiolar node. The subgenus Camponotus Mayria is characterized by the clypeus that has no median carina, but with a rounded anterior margin, and a nodiform petiole. Therefore, C. lubbocki is moved back to the subgenus Camponotus Myrmosaga here.

The species delimitation of C. lubbocki based on qualitative morphology is sustained by the NC-clustering method. Identification of this species is confirmed by LDA with 100% success (see also Rakotonirina and Fisher 2018).

Figures

Figure 36. Head, mesosoma and petiolar node in lateral view A C. immaculatus (CASENT 0179441) B C. lubbocki (CASENT 0486998).

Figure 37. Head in full-face view A C. kelimaso (CASENT 0487718) B C. lubbocki (CASENT 0486998).