Camponotus tsimelahy, Rasoamanana & Fisher, 2022

Rasoamanana, Nicole & Fisher, Brian L., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Malagasy endemic subgenus Mayria of the genus Camponotus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on qualitative morphology and quantitative morphometric analyses, ZooKeys 1081, pp. 137-231 : 137

Camponotus tsimelahy sp. nov.

Figures 43B , 45B , 46A , 69

Holotype worker.

Madagascar, Province Toliara, Parc National d 'Andohahela, Forêt de Manatalinjo, 33.6 km 63° ENE Amboasary, 7.6 km 99° E Hazofotsy, -24.81694, 46.61, 150 m, spiny forest/thicket, 12-16 January 2002 (BLF), collection code: BLF04814, specimen code: CASENT0446651 (CAS). Paratypes. One worker with same data as holotype but specimen code CASENT0446549; 3 workers from Parc National d’ Andohahela, Forêt d’ Ambohibory, 1.7 km 61° ENE Tsimelahy, 36.1 km 308° NW Tolagnaro, -24.93, 46.6455, tropical dry forest, 12-16 January 2002 (BLF), collection code: BLF04918, specimen code: CASENT0444910 (CAS).

Note.

Habitat: eucalyptus plantation, grassland, savanna grassland, Uapaca forest, Uapaca woodland, urban/garden. Altitude: 1300-1987 m. Province: Antananarivo. Microhabitat: sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), under stones, on low vegetation, ex soil, ground forager(s), ground nest. Method: MW 20 sample transect, 10 m; SD 20 digging sample transect, 10 m; 20 sardine and ground tuna fish baits; Malaise, 2 traps.

Description of minor worker.

Medium-sized species. Absolute cephalic size (CS: 0.79 ± 0.04; 0.77-0.81). In full-face view, head ovate, usually somewhat longer than broad, lateral margin of head straight and tapering to front (CWb/CL: 0.29 ± 0.02, 0.28-0.29). Eyes subelliptical, protruding, their borders smoothly aligned to lateral margins of head (PoOC/CL: 0.09 ± 0.00, 0.08-0.09). Mandibles triangular with six teeth. Anterior clypeal margin not produced, entire, broadly rounded. Antennal scape long, surpassing the occiput by the length of two basal funiculi (SL/CS: 0.41 ± 0.03, 0.40-0.42). In lateral view, mesosoma without anterolateral margination, promesonotum distinctly convex, mesopropodeal suture deeply impressed so that propodeal dorsum raised to the level of mesopropodeal suture, propodeum angular in profile, with unequal basal and declivitous faces, the former horizontal, the latter straight to evenly concave (MW/ML: 0.19 ± 0.02, 0.17-0.20; MPH/ML: 0.13 ± 0.01, 0.13-0.14). In lateral view, petiole cuneate with convex anterior face and flat dorsal face. Body finely imbricate. Hairs whitish, one pair present on vertex, middle of mesonotum, and propodeum dorsum; two pairs on each side of lateral corner of propodeum; three pairs on lateral margins of petiole. Head and mesosoma reddish, legs light brown, basal face of first gastral segment light brown and the remaining segment dark brown to black.

Distribution and biology.

This new species seems to prefer deciduous forest habitats such as tropical dry forest, gallery forest, spiny forest or thicket, and transitional forest, but is much rarer in humid habitats at lower altitudes (Fig. 72D ).

Discussion.

Camponotus tsimelahy may be confused with C. repens and C. ihazofotsy ; all three species share the same sculpturation, form of petiole, and type of suberect setae. However, in profile, the dorsal outline of the mesosoma presents a slightly concave metanotal groove. See the discussion section under C. ihazofotsy .

Etymology.

The species epithet is in reference to the type locality.

Additional material examined.

Province Toliara: 18.4 km N Amboasary, -24.87367, 46.39767, 85 m, spiny forest/thicket (BLF) (CAS); Anosy Region , District of Amboasary, Andohaela National Park Parcelle III, Ihazofotsy , 32 km NE Amboasary, -24.83083, 46.53617, 58 m, dry forest, spiny forest (Mike Irwin, Frank Parker, Rin’ha) (CAS); Anosy Region , District of Fort-Dauphin , Andohaela National Park Parcelle II, Tsimelahy , 42 km W of Fort-Dauphin, -24.93683, 46.62667, 176 m, transitional forest (Mike Irwin, Frank Parker, Rin’ha) (CAS); Ifaty 22 km N, -23.18333, 43.61667, 30 m,beach dunes (M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger) (CAS); Ihazofotsy - Parcel III, Andohahela National Park , transitional forest, -24.83483, 46.48683, 80 m, transition between spiny and dry deciduous forests (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala) (CAS); Parc National d’Andohahela, Forêt d’ Ambohibory , 1.7 km 61° ENE Tsimelahy, 36.1 km 308° NW Tolagnaro , -24.93, 46.6455, 300 m, tropical dry forest (FGAT) (CAS); Parc National d’Andohahela, Forêt de Manatalinjo , 33.6 km 63° ENE Amboasary, 7.6 km 99° E Hazofotsy , -24.81694, 46.61, 150 m, spiny forest/thicket (FGAT) (CAS) Tsimelahy - Parcel II, Andohahela National Park, transitional forest, -24.93683, 46.62667, 180 m, transitional forest (M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R. Harin’Hala) (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 43. Mesosoma in lateral view A C. repens (CASENT 0481832) B C. tsimelahy (CASENT 0446651).

Figure 45. Mesosoma in lateral view A C. Camponotus jjacquia (CASENT 0445276) B C. tsimelahy (CASENT 0446651).

Figure 46. Head in full-face view A C. tsimelahy (CASENT 0446651) B C. ihazofotsy (CASENT 0062675).

Figure 69. Camponotus tsimelahy minor worker (CASENT 0446651) 1 body in lateral view 2 head in full-face view 3 body in dorsal view.

Figure 72. Distribution map of C. repens species group A C. claveri B C. ihazofotsy C C. jjacquia D C. tsimelahy and C. robustus species group E C. zoro