Camponotus orombe

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus orombe
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Mayria
Species group: edmondi
Species: C. orombe
Binomial name
Camponotus orombe
Rakotonirina, Csősz & Fisher, 2016

Camponotus orombe casent0121500 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus orombe casent0121500 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Camponotus orombe is known only from a few individual workers collected from Ivohibe Forest between 200 m and 650 m of altitude in the southeast of Madagascar. They were found foraging on low vegetation and nesting in dead twigs above the ground. (Rakotonirina et al. 2016)

Identification

Rakotonirina et al. (2016) - A member of the Camponotus edmondi species group. In profile, anterior and posterior margins of petiolar node convex; in profile, propodeal dorsum and declivitous surface separated by blunt angle; in dorsal view, mesonotum less than twice as broad as long; mesopleuron with propodeal surface together distinctly wider than lateral portion of pronotum; in profile, propodeal dorsum roughly as long as declivitous margin; dorsum of head and mesosoma densely and finely reticulate punctate; erect hairs lacking on dorsum of pronotum; distance between meso-metapleural suture and dorsolateral margin of propodeum not changing along the dorsolateral carina of propodeum.

Camponotus orombe can be confused to Camponotus mifaka, but the latter has numerous erect hairs on the dorsum of its mesosoma. Camponotus orombe can be differentiated from Camponotus tafo and Camponotus edmondi by the fact that the propodeum of these two latter species is not strongly compressed anteroposteriorly and the distance between the meso-metapleural suture and the dorsolateral margin of the propodeum is largest near the junction of the dorsolateral carina and the declivitous surface.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -24.56167° to -24.569°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus orombe casent0122867 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0122867 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0122867 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0122867 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype of Camponotus orombeWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0122867. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Camponotus orombe casent0178923 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0178923 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0178923 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus orombe casent0178923 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Camponotus orombeWorker. Specimen code casent0178923. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • orombe. Camponotus orombe Rakotonirina, et al. 2016: 132, figs. 15A, 28, 43 (s.w.) MADAGASCAR.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Minor. In full-face view head slightly longer than broad (CWb/CL: 0.88); lateral margins weakly convex and converging slightly towards base of mandibles; posterior border broadly convex. Level of posterior ocular margins at about posterior fourth portion of head (PoOc/CL: 0.23–0.24). Anteromedian margin of clypeus with slightly blunt angle; posterior margin weakly notched. Mandible triangular, masticatory margin with six teeth. Antennal scape relatively long, distal portion almost extending beyond posterior border of head. In lateral view, pronotum dorsally flat, anterior margin projecting into narrow ridge; dorsolateral portion of promesonotum longitudinally marginate. In dorsal view, mesonotum less than twice as broad as long, posterodorsal corner without visible posterior lobe; lateral margin convex and gradually converging to metanotal groove. In lateral view, propodeum strongly compressed anteroposteriorly, junction between dorsal margin and declivity not distinctly visible; ridge on posterolateral portion distinct; distance between meso-metapleural suture and posterolateral ridge of propodeum remaining the same along dorsolateral carina of propodeum. Propodeal spiracle on lower third of posterior face of propodeum. Maximum width of procoxa as large as width of meso-metapleuron and propodeal surface together. In lateral view, anterior margin of petiolar node convex; posterior margin sloping posteriorly to about mid-height and descending almost vertically to posteroventral angle. No constriction between abdominal segments III and IV.

Dorsum of head, mesosoma, and petiolar node with fine and dense reticulate punctures. Mandible with sparse piligerous punctures between smooth surfaces. Numerous pairs of whitish erect hairs on dorsum of head; one pair on mesonotum; numerous erect hairs arranged along junction of propodeal dorsum and declivity. No erect hair on declivitous surface above propodeal spiracle level. Posterior face of petiole with a row of four erect hairs near lateral margin and posterodorsal angle. Shorter and slender erect hairs organized transversely on anterior and posterior portions of each gastral tergite. Pubescence present on dorsum of head, mesosoma, petiole and gaster. Head, mesosoma, and petiole black in color; antennal scape and first five flagellar segments, mandible, trochanter, and tarsus yellow to light brown; gaster, apical portion of antennal segments, femur, and tibia dark brown.

Major. Similar to minor worker, but with the following divergent characters: in full-face view, head subquadrate (CWb/CL: 0.98), lateral borders almost parallel and converging strongly near base of mandibles; level of posterior margins of eyes located at about posterior third portion of head (PoOc/CL: 0.3). Anterior margin of clypeus medially excised; mandible robustly built; antennal scape barely surpassing posterior cephalic border. Anterior portion of pronotum not strongly marginate; in dorsal view, metanotum visible between metanotal groove and propodeum. Junction of dorsum and sides of propodeum more or less rounded; petiolar node more flattened anteroposteriorly.

Type Material

Holotype worker. Madagascar, Province Toliara, Forêt Ivohibe 55.0 km N Tolagnaro, –24.569, 47.204, 200 m, rainforest, ex dead twig above ground, 12 Mar 2006 (B. L. Fisher et al.) collection code: BLF15534, specimen code: CASENT0178923 (California Academy of Sciences). Paratypes. 3 workers, 1 worker same data as holotype but with specimen code CASENT0122867; 2 workers with the following data: Forêt Ivohibe 55.6 km N Tolagnaro, –24.56167, 47.20017, 650 m, rainforest, beating low vegetation, 12 Apr 2006, BLF15587 and CASENT0122787, BLF15628 and CASENT0121500 (The Natural History Museum, CASC).

References

  • Rakotonirina J.C., Csosz S., and B.L. Fisher. 2016. Revision of the Malagasy Camponotus edmondi species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae): integrating qualitative morphology and multivariate morphometric analysis. ZooKeys. 572:81-154 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.572.7177).