Camponotus candiotes

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Camponotus candiotes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Myrmentoma
Species group: lateralis
Species complex: sicheli
Species: C. candiotes
Binomial name
Camponotus candiotes
Emery, 1894

Camponotus candiotes casent0281578 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus candiotes casent0281578 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

A thermophilous species, most records are from fig trees inside olive plantations, stream valleys with deciduous forests, especially plane trees, seashore with frygana and pines trees, occasionally on frygana with bushes. Foraging workers regularly observed on trunks of pine trees or leaves of fig trees especially fig trees infected with Homopteran insects producing honeydew. Nests under stones. Most records are from an altitude below 800 m, the highest location was from Psiloritis Mts., Crete from an altitude of 1650 m. (Borowiec and Salata 2022)

Identification

A member of the Camponotus lateralis species group. Seifert, 2019: The character combinations to identify this species can be derived from the key (also see Table 3 from this study) and the following pictures in AntWeb.org: CASENT0281578 (minor worker), CASENT0281579 (minor), CASENT0905389 (minor, syntype of C. candiotes).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

The most current published information (Borowiec and Salata 2022) regarding the species boundaries of Camponotus candiotes suggests this ant occurs in Greece (Aegean Islands, Crete and Dodecanese), Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Siefert's (2019) research, with a slightly-different understanding of the taxonomy of this species, shows a correspondingly slightly-different distribution (Crete, Rhodes, Asia Minor, Georgia).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 43.91666667° to 35.05°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Azerbaijan, Greece (type locality), Türkiye.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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

Described from Crete, with most of the records of this ant from this island.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • candiotes. Camponotus lateralis var. candiotes Emery, 1894j: 10 (w.) GREECE (Crete).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • [Note: Seifert, 2019b: 24, cites 4w syntypes.]
    • Type-locality: Greece: Crete I., 1893 (G. Cecconi).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 187 (q.m.).
    • Combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925a: 68; Emery, 1925b: 120.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Finzi, 1928c: 791.
    • Subspecies of lateralis: Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Emery, 1915h: 2; Emery, 1925b: 120; Hamann & Klemm, 1976: 677 (anachronism).
    • Subspecies of piceus: Emery, 1925a: 68; Menozzi, 1936d: 304.
    • Status as species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 283 (in key); Collingwood, 1993b: 195; Bolton, 1995b: 90; Petrov, 2006: 108 (in key); Legakis, 2011: 29; Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 187; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 473; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 6; Karaman, C. & Aktaç, 2013: 51 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 28; Lebas, et al. 2016: 138; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2018: 4; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43; Seifert, 2019b: 24; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2022: 78.
    • Distribution: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, 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) - Moderately large, polymorphic; minor worker: HL: 0.968-1.016 (mean 0.995); HW: 0.778-0.849 (mean 0.816); SL: 0.952-1.016 (mean 0.980); EL: 0.243-0.302 (mean 0.267); ML: 1.43-1.51; MW: 0.69-0.77. Color. Head completely black, often gena apically and sides of clypeus with small reddish spots, mesosoma only occasionally completely black (in Greek populations only 15 % of examined specimens), usually at least pronotum brown or reddish brown with obscure spot or two spots on dorsum , occasionally whole pronotum reddish, mesonotum from mostly reddish brown to predominantly blakc , often only anterior and lateral margins reddish to brown, propodeum usually black, occasionally reddish brown or only posterior face reddish, gaster black except yellowish white posterior margin, occasionally first gastral tergite brown; antennal scapus yellow, funicle from uniformly yellow to mostly infuscate, usually basal 1-3(5) segments yellowish then subsequent segments gradually darker, yellowish brown to brown; coxa brown to black, trochanters partly brown partly yellowish, femora mostly brown to almost black except yellowish apices, in the palest specimens apical 1/3 of femora yellowish, in the darkest specimens almost whole femora brown, tibiae from yellow to yellowish brown with yellow apex, tarsi yellow, in the darkest forms tibiae mostly to almost completely brown, occasionally whole femora and tibiae yellow. Head. Stout, 1.2 times as long as wide, sides in front of eyes almost straight and slightly converging anterad, behind eyes regularly rounded, posterior margin convex. Clypeus trapezoidal, with anterior margin straight to slightly convex, simple or slightly crenulate, without median emargination, posterior margin in the middle emarginate by frontal triangle, whole surface with diffused microreticulation, appears shiny, covered with short and sparse appressed to decumbent hairs, anterior margin with a row of 6-8 long setae centrally and 4-8 short setae on sides, whole Clypeus with several moderately long erected setae grouping on sides and base of clypeus. Head diffusely to distinctly microsculptured, frontal area microreticulate, occipital and temporal area mostly with transverse or circular striation, surface with short and sparse appressed pubescence, appears shiny, gena, frons and anterior part of occipitum with short to long erected setae, only occipital and temporal areas without setae, ventral side of head with 6-12 moderately long to long erected setae. Scape moderately elongate, 1.1-1.2 times as long as width of head, at apex only slightly wider than in base, basal part without horizontal extension, surface diffusely to distinctly microreticulate, shiny, with short and sparse appressed pubescence, without decumbent hairs or erected setae. Funicular segments elongate, thin, first segment 2.2-2.3 times as long as wide and 1.8-1.9 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, 0.27 length of head. Mandibles stout, diffusely microreticulate to almost smooth, surface shiny. Mesosoma. Moderately elongate, 1.9-2.1 times as long as wide, dorsally and laterally distinctly sculptured tending to form transverse, longitudinal, oblique and concentric striation, on sides of pronotum microstriation often diffused, whole surface shiny. In lateral view dorsum with distinct mesonotal groove, propodeum with flat dorsum which is 1.6-1.7 times as long as wide, posterior margin truncate, in lateral view posterior face and dorsum form distinct angle posterior face not excavate. Surface of mesosoma with short and scarce depressed to decumbent hairs, pronotum posterolaterally with 2-4 long erected setae, mesonotum with 6-8 moderately long to long erected setae, propodeum on the whole surface with 8-12 short to moderately long erected setae; the number of erected setae increases with body length, the longest setae with length to 0.208. Waist and gaster. Petiolar scale moderately thick, broad in anterior view, PI = 2.5-2.8, with very convex anterior and flat posterior face, apex rounded; anterior and posterior surface transversely striate, without pubescence or with few very short and very scarce appressed hairs, apical crest with 4-6 very long erected setae. Gaster shorter than mesosoma, tergites with fine transverse microstriation, surface shiny, covered with moderately long but scarce appressed hairs; each tergite with row of, very long erected setae across middle and close to posterior margin, sometimes with few additional erected setae between main rows, anterior row of setae on first gastral tergite sometimes reduced to only two setae or completely absent. Legs. Elongate, hind femora shorter than mesosoma, surface of legs covered with short to moderately long and sparse appressed hairs, inner margin of hind tibiae with row of 2-4 thorns. Ventral surface of fore femora with 3-5 long erected setae. Major worker: Large, HL: 1.397; HW: 1.333; SL: 1.211; EL: 0.303; ML: 1.98; MW: 1.04. In the only two examined major workers uniformly black or sides of pronotum with indistinct brown spot of diffused borders, color of legs in one specimens almost completely yellow with brown coxa and femora infuscate at base, in the second specimen whole legs dark brown. Head stouter, approximately as long as wide, sides of head softly convex, posterior margin straight. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly serrulate, in the middle sometimes with semicircular emargination. Scapus shorter, 0.9 times as long as width of head. Eyes relatively smaller, 0.22 times as long of head. Setation on head and whole dorsum more numerous than in minor workers, occipital and temporal part of head with few erected setae, 8 setae on pronotum, 10-12 on mesonotum and 16-18 on the whole dorsum of propodeum, petiolar crest with 8 very long setae. Propodeal flat dorsum shorter, approximately 1.2 times as long as wide. Ventral posterior surface of fore femora with 7 long erected setae.

Type Material

Seifert, 2019: Investigated were 4 syntype workers labeled ‘Creta (Cecconi) Omalo s Cata.’ [last word of label illegible], ‘SYNTYPUS Camponotus lateralis candiotes Emery, 1894’, ‘C. lateralis var. candiotes Eme’ and 3 syntype workers labeled ‘Creta (Cecconi) La C.’ [last word of label illegible], ‘SYNTYPUS Camponotus lateralis candiotes Emery, 1894’, ‘ANTWEB CASENT0905389’; all material Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa.


Taxonomic Notes

Seifert, 2019: Both syntype series are clearly allocated to the cluster of 17 samples given in the next paragraph if run as wild-card in a 5-class LDA considering the five related species shown in Tab. 3 – the series with four syntypes is assigned with p = 0.9998 and that with three syntypes with p = 1.0000.

The exploratory data analyses NC-part.hclust, NC-part.kmeans, NC-NMDS-k-means and NCWard provided partially contradictory results regarding the heterospecificity of C. candiotes and C. piceus when CS and all 12 RAV-corrected shape and seta characters are considered. NC-Ward suggested C. candiotes to form a separate cluster with only one sample being misplaced (error 1.1 % in 87 samples). However, both NC-part. hclust and NC-part.kmeans did not confirm the presence of more than one cluster. Accepting the hypothesis formed by NC-Ward, a stepwise LDA was run which reduced the considered data set to the characters CL/CW1.25, SL/CS1.25, ScI1.25, MGr/CS1.25, nSc1.25 and PrL/CS1.25. Under this setting, NC-part.hclust fully confirmed the hypothesis formed by NC-Ward with three samples of C. piceus remaining unclassified – i.e., being placed as outliers. NC-NMDS-k-means clustering fully confirmed the hypothesis of NC-Ward but NC-part.kmeans, however, failed again to confirm the presence of two clusters (Fig. 13). With three exploratory data analyses confirming the final species hypothesis and one failing, I hypothesize C. candiotes to represent an eastern parapatric sibling species of C. piceus. The classification error in 180 individual workers is 1.1 % by an LDA and 1.7 % by a leave-one-out cross-validation LDA.

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.
  • Collingwood, C. A. 1993. A Comparitive Study of the Ant Fauna of Five Greek Islands. Biologia Gallo-hellenica. 20,1:191-197
  • Collingwood, C. A. "A comparative study of the ant fauna of five Greek islands." Biologia Gallo-Hellenica 20 (1993): 191-197.
  • 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. 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
  • Emery, C. "Alcune formiche dell'isola di Creta." Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. Resoc. Adun. 26 (1894): 7-10.
  • 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.
  • Menozzi C. 1929. Ricerche faunistiche nelle isole italiane dell'Egeo. Imenotteri (formiche). Archivio Zoologico Italiano. 13: 145-146.
  • Salata S., L. Borowiec, and A.Trichas. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Cretan Fauna of the Genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Notes on the Endemism of Ant Fauna of Crete. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 68(4): 769-808.
  • 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. A new species of the ant genus Lasius Fabricius, 1804 from Crete (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 789: 139–159.
  • 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.
  • Seifert B. 2019. A taxonomic revision of the members of the Camponotus lateralis species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Europe, Asia Minor and Caucasia. Soil Organisms 91:7–32.
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