Camponotus philwardi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Camponotus philwardi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Species: C. philwardi
Binomial name
Camponotus philwardi
McArthur, 2008

Camponotus philwardi casent0915768 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus philwardi casent0915768 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The type material was collected from a rotten log.

Identification

McArthur (2008) - A member of the C. ephippium group (McArthur 2007a), with the form of the mesosoma of minor workers in lateral view appearing between Camponotus ephippium and Camponotus capito. Its vertex is convex, its propodeal dorsum nearly straight whereas in C. ephippium it is flat and concave respectively. Its anterior clypeal margin has a distinctive concavity.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -32.1333313° to -38.35°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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

Nomenclature

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

  • philwardi. Camponotus philwardi McArthur, 2008: 123, figs. (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Victoria).
    • Status as species: McArthur, 2010: 106; McArthur, 2014: 156.

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

Description

Worker

Measurements: HL = 0.83HW + 0.36 (R2 = 0.99, n=10); PW = 0.39HW + 0.64 (R2 = 0.95, n=10); CW = 0.30HW + 0.11 (R2 = 0.98, n=10).

Major. Mesosoma: pronotum nearly flat with lateral margins in front, mesonotum abruptly rising anteriorly, otherwise feebly convex; metanotum with distinct transverse edges; propodeum dorsum straight; angle rounded, about 135°; declivity mostly straight; pronotum and mesonotum with a few scattered long erect setae, propodeum with a few near angle; flat-lying short setae sparse; side of mesonotum and propodeum finely and densely reticulate. Node: anterior lower half straight upper half convex, posterior mostly straight, summit convex. Appendages: tibiae with flat-lying short setae spaced about equal to their length; scapes with flat-lying short setae spaces about = length with some a little longer raised to 45° Head: underside in lateral view with a few long erect setae; in front view finely punctate with plentiful short erect setae on cheeks; sides convex; vertex straight; frontal carinae width about HW/3; maximum head width occurs at eye centres; clypeus anterior margin feebly projecting with a central concavity. Colour: head and gaster brown otherwise brownish yellow.

Minor as for major worker.

Type Material

Holotype: One minor worker pinned in South Australian Museum “N.S.W. Eccleston Up. Allyn Valley 32°16’S 151°30’E in rotten log 5/10/1995 P S Ward 1314” Paratypes: Three minor workers with same data pinned in each of SAMA, Australian National Insect Collection and Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna.

Etymology

Named after P. S. Ward for his contribution to Myrmecology.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • McArthur A. J. 2008. New species of Camponotus (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Australia. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 109: 111-129.