Camponotus aegaeus

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Camponotus aegaeus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Myrmentoma
Species group: kiesenwetteri
Species: C. aegaeus
Binomial name
Camponotus aegaeus
Emery, 1915

Camponotus aegaeus casent0179874 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus aegaeus casent0179874 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

In Greece, a thermophilous species, prefers luminous pine forests and habitats with Mediterranean shrubs, rarely observed in luminous deciduous forests or in xerothermic meadows. Foraging workers regularly observed on Apiaceae inflorescences, on trunks of pine trees or leaves of fig trees, especially fig trees infected with Homopteran insects producing honeydew. Nests under stones. Absent in high mountains, most records are from an altitude below 500 m, the highest location was from an altitude of 770 m. (Borowiec and Salata 2022)

Identification

Salata et al. (2019) - A member of the Camponotus kiesenwetteri species group. Head, mesosoma, and gaster uniformly blackish-brown to black; metanotal groove absent; propodeum without posterior protrusion; body densely punctate, appears dull; base of scape without extension; whole body bears long, thick, pale, dense and erect setae, and short appressed microsetae; petiolar scale thin (PI > 1.50).

The almost completely blackish-brown to black body and regularly arched (in lateral view) mesosoma cluster this species with Camponotus libanicus. At first glance both species look extremely similar. The most relevant character distinguishing both taxa is the shape of petiolar scale. Camponotus aegaeus has a thin scale (PI > 1.50) with a feebly convex anterior surface, while in C. libanicus the scale is thick (PI < 1.42) with a strongly convex anterior surface.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Salata et al. (2019) - Greece: North Aegean Islands, South Aegean Islands (Dodecanese), Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace; Turkey: Adana, Afyon, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, İzmir, Kırklareli, Kütahya, Manisa, Muğla, Sakarya, Uşak, and Yalova. The species was also recorded from North Macedonia (Bračko et al. 2014) and Bulgaria (Lapeva-Gjonova 2010).

The kiesenwetteri species group contains taxa of the subgenus Myrmentoma that are distributed almost exclusively in the Aegean. The two exceptions, Camponotus aegaeus and Camponotus libanicus, collectively extend the group's distributional range into Asia Minor and the Near East. These two species appear to be vicariant taxa, with C. aegaeus to the west and C. libanicus to the east. Niche modeling for both species show similar areas with high suitability, especially along the south coast of Turkey and Cyprus. However, C. aegaeus has not been recorded from the island. Solar radiation was the variable that contributed the most to the niche model of C. aegaeus.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 42.596228° to 36.05°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Bulgaria, Greece (type locality), North Macedonia, Türkiye.

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

See the Camponotus kiesenwetteri species group page for information about the biology of C. aegaeus.

Castes

Worker

Salata et al. 2019. Figures 17-18. Camponotus aegaeus major (17) and minor (18).

Queen

Borowiec and Salata 2022. Figures F31.7-8. Camponotus aegaeus queen. Photographed by Lech Borowiec.

Nomenclature

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

  • aegaeus. Camponotus (Orthonotomyrmex) libanicus var. aegaea Emery, 1915h: 4, figs. 1, 2 (s.w.q.) GREECE (Rhodes).
    • Type-material: 1 syntype major worker, syntype minor workers (number not stated, “many”), 1 syntype queen.
    • Type-locality: Greece: Rhodes I. (E. Festa).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925b: 121.
    • Subspecies of libanicus: Emery, 1925b: 121; Menozzi, 1936d: 304; Bolton, 1995b: 84.
    • Status as species: Radchenko, 1996b: 1197 (in key); Radchenko, 1997b: 705; Lapeva-Gjonova, et al. 2010: 41; Legakis, 2011: 28; Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 185; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 470; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 5; Karaman, C. & Aktaç, 2013: 50 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 25; Bračko, et al. 2014: 18; Lebas, et al. 2016: 136; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2018: 4; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43; Salata, Loss, et al. 2019: 90; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2022: 68.
    • Distribution: Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey.

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

Description

Worker

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Large, polymorphic; minor worker: HL: 1.170-1.302 (mean 1.229); HW: 0.960-1.135 (mean 1.039); SL: 1.143-1.302 (mean 1.206); EL: 0.302-0.329 (mean 0.315); ML: 1.78-1.98; MW: 0.97-1.127. Color. Body black, only anterior margin of pronotum and apical half of mandibles yellowish to yellowish brown and posterior margins of gastral tergites whitish yellow; antennae yellow, sometimes apical 2-4 segments of funiculus slightly infuscate; coxa, femora and tibiae brown, dark brown to almost black, apex of tibiae often yellowish to yellowish brown, tarsi from yellow to brown, basitarsus often darker than subsequent tarsomeres. Head. Stout, 1.1-1.2 times longer than wide, in front of eyes softly converging anterad, behind eyes regularly rounded, posterior margin slightly convex. Clypeus trapezoidal, with anterior margin slightly convex and slightly crenulate, without median emargination, posterior margin in the middle emarginate by frontal triangle, whole surface distinctly microreticulated, surface opalescent dull, covered with sparse and short, hardly visible appressed hairs, anterior margin with a row of 6-8 very long setae and between long setae with very short setae, whole Clypeus with several moderately long and long erected setae. Head distinctly microreticulate, surface opalescent dull, frons with well-marked impunctate line, whole surface, including gena and sides of head with sparse and short, hardly visible appressed hairs and long erected setae but occipital area lacking erected setae, ventral side of head with several moderately long to long erected setae. Scape moderately long, 1.1-1.2 times as long as width of head, at apex twice wider than in base, its surface diffusely to distinctly microreticulate, shiny, with very short and sparse appressed pubescence, without decumbent hairs or erected setae. Funicular segments elongate, thin, first segment 2.8 times as long as wide and approximately 1.7 times as long as second segment, third segment distinctly longer than second, the rest of funicular segments distinctly longer than broad. Eyes moderately big, almost round, 0.26 length of head. Mandibles stout, elongate punctate, surface shiny. Mesosoma. Moderately elongate, 1.7-1.9 times as long as wide, dorsally and laterally with strong microsculpture, surface opalescent dull. In lateral view dorsum form regular arch, without mesonotal groove, propodeum forms distinct, almost straight angle, posterior face of propodeum shallowly excavate. Surface of mesosoma with short and scarce depressed hairs, pronotum with 6-14 erected setae, mesonotum with 4-12, propodeum with more than 20 long to long erected setae, the longest with length to 0.270. Waist and gaster. Petiolar scale thin and broad in anterior view, PI > 1.50, with convex anterior and flat posterior face, apex rounded; anterior and posterior surface microreticulate, sculpture tends to form transverse striation, without pubescence, apical crest with 4-10 very long erected setae. Gaster shorter than mesosoma, tergites with strong microreticulation, surface opalescent dull, covered with moderately long but scarce appressed hairs; each tergite with numerous, very long erected setae. Legs. Moderately elongate, hind femora shorter than mesosoma, surface of legs covered with short and sparse appressed hairs, inner margin of hind tibiae with row of 4-6 thorns. Ventral surface of fore femora with 5-6 long erected setae. Major worker: Large, HL: 2.040-2.200 (mean 2.123); HW: 1.967-2.217 (mean 2.053); SL: 1.429-1.520 (mean 1.476); EL: 0.412-0.441 (mean 0.425); ML: 2.65-2.85; MW: 1.44- 1.62. Body color and sculpture as in minor workers but apex of antennal scapus and apical half of funiculus often indistinctly infuscated. Head stouter, approximately as long as wide, sides of head softly convex, posterior margin often straight. Scapus shorter, approximately 0.7 times as long as width of head. Eyes relatively smaller, 0.2 times as long of head. Setation more numerous than in minor workers, present also in occipital corners. Setae on all mesosomal segments numerous. more than 20, petiolar crest with 14-16 very long setae. Ventral surface of fore femora with 8-12 long erected setae.

Type Material

Salata et al. (2019) - Syntype workers, queen, Isola Rodi, Greece (Festa), Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa, Syntype worker images, AntWeb, CASENT0905395.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samos Island, Greece. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-13.
  • Bracko G., H. C. Wagner, A. Schulz, E. Gioahim, J. Maticic, and A. Tratnik. 2014. New investigation and a revised checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Republic of Macedonia. North-Western Journal of Zoology 10(1): 10-24.
  • Bracko G., H. C. Wagner, E. Gioahin, J. Maticic, and A. Tratnik. 2011. Contribution to the knowledge of the ant fauna of the southeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Entomologica romanica 16: 54.
  • Bracko G., K. Kiran, C. Karaman, S. Salata, and L. Borowiec. 2016. Survey of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Greek Thrace. Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7945. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e7945
  • Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
  • Emery, C. "Escursioni zoologiche del Dr. Enrico Festa nell'Isola di Rodi. XII. Formiche." Bollettino del Museo di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparatadella Reale Università di Torino 30 (1915): 1-7.
  • Hamann H. H. F., and W. Klemm. 1976. Ergebnisse der von Dr. O. Paget und Dr. E. Kritscher auf Rhodos durchgeführten zoologischen Exkursionen. XVI. Formicidae. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 80: 669-679.
  • Karaman C., N. Aktac, and K. Kiran. 2009. Ants of the genus CamponotusMayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Kaz Mountains, Turkey, with descriptions of sexuals of Camponotus candiotes Emery, 1894 and Camponotus ionius Emery, 1920. Tubitak 35(2): 183-197.
  • Kiran K., and N. Aktac. 2006. The vertical distribution of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Samanh Mountains, Turkey. Linzer Biol. Beitr. 38(2): 1105-1122.
  • Lapeva-Gjonova, A. "First records of three ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Bulgaria." Myrmecological News 14 (2010): 1-3.
  • Lapeva-Gjonova, L., V. Antonova, A. G. Radchenko, and M. Atanasova. "Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria." ZooKeys 62 (2010): 1-124.
  • Menozzi C. 1929. Ricerche faunistiche nelle isole italiane dell'Egeo. Imenotteri (formiche). Archivio Zoologico Italiano. 13: 145-146.
  • Radchenko A. G. 1997. A review of ants of the subgenus Myrmentoma, Genus Camponotus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), from Asian Palaearctic. Entomological Review 77(8): 1050-1059.
  • Salata S., A. C. Loss, C. Karaman, K. Kiran, and L. Borowiec. 2019. Review of the Camponotus kiesenwetteri group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Aegean with the description of a new species. ZooKeys 899: 85-107.
  • Salata S., and L Borowiec. 2017. Species of Tetramorium semilaeve complex from Balkans and western Turkey, with description of two new species of (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 62:279–313.
  • Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.
  • Tausan I., and A. Lapeva-Gjonova. 2017. Camponotus samius Forel, 1889 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) – at the north edge of its European distribution. North-Western Journal of Zoology: e177201
  • Vieira de Oliveira J. A., D. Martins da Silva, and F. A. Santana. 2014. Ant species diversity in ciliary forest and gallery forest areas in central Brazil. Advances in Entomology 2(1): 24-32.
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