Camponotus dufouri

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus dufouri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Myrmosaga
Species: C. dufouri
Binomial name
Camponotus dufouri
Forel, 1891

Camponotus dufouri casent0101644 profile 1.jpg

Camponotus dufouri casent0101644 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

Camponotus dufouri is only known from Madagascar. Its distribution follows that of eastern humid forests ranging from the littoral to the montane rainforest of the island (Fig. 52G). Its colony nests have been found mostly in rotten logs, rotten sticks, and rotting tree stumps, and rarely in dead branches, twigs, and bamboo on the ground. Workers forage frequently on the ground and in leaf litter, rarely on low vegetation. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Identification

With head in full-face view, lateral cephalic margins converge posteriorly towards eye level, strongly converging from posterior ocular margin to occipital corner of head; anteromedian margin of clypeus straight; two apical teeth of mandible normally spaced; lateral cephalic margin anterior to eye level covered with erect hairs.

A clypeus with a straight anteromedian margin makes C. dufouri easy to separate from Camponotus lokobe. Also, in C. tendryi, when the head is set in full-face view, the lateral cephalic margin posterior to the eye level is without erect hairs and its body size is smaller (CS: 1.57±0.01; 1.56–1.58), while in C. dufouri, erect hairs are present on the lateral cephalic margin posterior to the eye level and its body size is larger (CS: 1.97±0.19; 1.66–2.26). (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus dufouri casent0101669 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101669 head 2.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101669 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101669 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101669 label 1.jpg
Paralectoype of Camponotus dufouri. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101669. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri casent0101679 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101679 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101679 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101679 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101679. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri casent0101685 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101685 head 2.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101685 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101685 profile 2.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101685 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101685 label 1.jpg
Male (alate). Specimen code casent0101685. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri casent0101919 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101919 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101919 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri casent0101919 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype Camponotus dufouri imerinensis. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101919. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101812 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101812 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101812 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101812 label 1.jpg
Lectotype of Camponotus dufouri imerinensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0101812. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101828 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101828 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101828 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101828 label 1.jpg
Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0101828. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Camponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101942 head 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101942 profile 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101942 dorsal 1.jpgCamponotus dufouri imerinensis casent0101942 label 1.jpg
Paralectotype of Camponotus dufouri imerinensis. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101942. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • dufouri. Camponotus dufouri Forel, 1891b: 16, pl. 1, fig. 2a-d (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.
    • Forel, 1895c: 244 (q.); Forel, 1895h: 488 (m.).
    • Combination in C. (Dinomyrmex): Forel, 1914a: 268;
    • combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 229; Forel, 1895c: 244; Emery, 1895f: 337; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Wasmann, 1897: 250; Forel, 1907g: 91; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1043; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 97.
  • imerinensis. Camponotus dufouri var. imerinensis Forel, 1891b: 18 (q.) MADAGASCAR.
    • Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 85.
    • Subspecies of dufouri: Dalla Torre, 1893: 229; Emery, 1896d: 370 (in list); Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1043; Emery, 1925b: 85; Bolton, 1995b: 104.
    • Junior synonym of dufouri: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022: 77.

Type Material

Camponotus dufouri

  • Syntype workers, Madagascar, 30 miles NW Tamatave (O’Swald) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022]; 1 syntype major worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, Madagascar, AntWeb CASENT0101644 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
  • Paralectoype: 1 major worker same data as lectotype but with specimen code: CASENT0101669 (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Camponotus dufouri imerinensis

  • Syntype workers and queen, Madagascar, Environ d’Antananarivo, Imerina [labeled as “Andrangoloaka”] (Sikora) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022]; 1 syntype minor worker designated as lectotype, by present designation, AntWeb CASENT0101812 (Sikora) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].
  • Paralectotypes: 1 major worker and 1 alate queen of the same data as lectotype but with the following specimen codes: CASENT0101919 (Sikora) and CASENT0101679 (Camboué) (MHNG) [Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022].

Taxonomic Notes

A verification of the syntype workers of C. dufouri imerinensis demonstrates that they were indistinguishable from the syntypes of C. dufouri. Moreover, since the geographic distribution of C. dufouri is ranging from the littoral to the montane rainforests of Madagascar where the type specimens of the subspecies name were collected, it is consequently correct to synonymize it under C. dufouri. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2022)

Description

References

  • Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 97, catalogue)
  • Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 85, combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex))
  • Forel, A. 1891c. Les Formicides. [part]. In: Grandidier, A. Histoire physique, naturelle, et politique de Madagascar. Volume XX. Histoire naturelle des Hyménoptères. Deuxième partie (28e fascicule). Paris: Hachette et Cie, v + 237 pp. (page 16, pl. 1, fig. 2 soldier, worker described)
  • Forel, A. 1895d. Nouvelles fourmis de l'Imerina oriental (Moramanga etc.). Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 39: 243-251 (page 244, queen described)
  • Forel, A. 1895i. Quelques fourmis du centre de Madagascar. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 39: 485-488 (page 488, male described)
  • Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 268, combination in C. (Dinomyrmex))
  • Rakotonirina, J.C., Fisher, B.L. 2022. Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using qualitative and quantitative morphology. ZooKeys 1098: 1–180 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1098.73223).
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1922k. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 4 45: 1005-1055 (see also)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Emery C. 1886. Saggio di un catalogo sistematico dei generi Camponotus, Polyrhachis e affini. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna 5: 363-382
  • Fisher B. L. 1997. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 31: 269-302.
  • Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
  • Forel A. 1897. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen und von Herrn Perrot auf Ste. Marie (Madagaskar) gesammelten Ameisen. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 21: 185-208.
  • Forel A. 1907. Ameisen von Madagaskar, den Comoren und Ostafrika. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Reise in Ostafrika 2: 75-92.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 1005-1055
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