Camponotus ionius

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Camponotus ionius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Camponotus
Subgenus: Tanaemyrmex
Species complex: samius
Species: C. ionius
Binomial name
Camponotus ionius
Emery, 1920

Camponotus ionius casent0906054 p 1 high.jpg

Camponotus ionius casent0906054 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

A common species typically found in drier areas, C. ionius has been found in a range of habitats (see distribution section below). Nests have been uncovered by turning over large stones. Workers are usually active at dawn and dusk. Major workers forage up to 10 meters away from the nest and are often collected on roads or tree trunks.

Identification

A member of the Camponotus samius species complex (Tanaemyrmex).

Salata et al. (2020) - Hind tibia and scape with decumbent to suberect pilosity but without additional erect setae; gena without numerous erect setae; mesosoma in major workers sometimes ventrolaterally paler (brown to bright brown) than black to dark brown head and gaster, in minor workers mesosoma usually slightly paler than head and gaster, with dark dorsum and brown to bright brown lateral sides; legs in minor and major workers reddish brown; gaster in major and minor workers uniformly coloured, sometimes minor with indistinctly brighter colouration on its basal part; pilosity on gaster sparse.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

This is a common species known from all Greek provinces except Crete (Borowiec et al., 2022).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 42.596228° to 35.583333°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

This species has been found in various types of arid habitats. Camponotus ionius has most commonly been collected from pine forests, but also observed in olive plantations, deciduous forests, and gardens in urban areas. Workers are also occasionally observed in open habitats, especially pastures with shrubs and limestone rocks or large stones. Camponotus ionius is also one of the pioneer species in burned forests.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Salata, Khalili-Moghadam & Borowiec 2020. Figures 11-12. Camponotus ionius 11: major worker; 12: minor worker lateral; scale bars = 2mm.

Minor

Salata, Khalili-Moghadam & Borowiec 2020. Figures 21. Minor worker.

Images from AntWeb

Camponotus ionius casent0906055 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0906055 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0906055 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0906055 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0906055. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Camponotus ionius casent0905287 h 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0905287 d 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0905287 p 1 high.jpgCamponotus ionius casent0905287 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Camponotus ionius. Worker. Specimen code casent0905287. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Major

Salata, Khalili-Moghadam & Borowiec 2020. Figure 20. Camponotus ionius major worker.

Nomenclature

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

  • ionius. Camponotus (Myrmoturba) samius var. ionia Emery, 1920c: 6.
    • [First available use of Camponotus maculatus subsp. samius var. ionia Emery, 1901e: 59 (w.) GREECE; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
    • Type-material: 3 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: Greece: Kefalonia I. (D. Sangiorgi).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • [Misspelled as jonia by Finzi, 1928c: 791; misspelled as ionicus by Petrov, 2006: 109 (in key).]
    • Santschi, 1921a: 116 (q.); Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 190 (m.).
    • Combination in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 100.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1905d: 36 (in text); Emery, 1908a: 193; Forel, 1911d: 360; Emery, 1914d: 159.
    • Subspecies of samius: Santschi, 1921a: 116; Emery, 1925b: 100; Finzi, 1928c: 791; Finzi, 1930d: 318; Menozzi, 1936d: 300; Finzi, 1939c: 159.
    • [Note: Santschi, 1921a: 116, has sanctus var. ionia, in error for samius var ionia.]
    • Status as species: Aktaç, 1977: 125; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 284 (in key); Collingwood, 1993b: 195; Bolton, 1995b: 105; Petrov, 2006: 109 (in key); Lapeva-Gjonova, et al. 2010: 44; Legakis, 2011: 30; Karaman, C. et al. 2011: 190; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 476; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 7; Karaman, C. & Aktaç, 2013: 53 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 34; Bračko, et al. 2014: 18; Lebas, et al. 2016: 154; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2018: 4; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43; Salata, Khalili-Moghadam, et al. 2020: 553; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2022: 120.
    • Distribution: Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, 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 to very large, polymorphic; minor workers HL: 1.541-1.784 (mean 1.659); HW: 1.003-1.140 (mean 1.064); SL: 1.924-2.183 (mean 2.041); EL: 0.405-0.425 (mean 0.415); ML: 2.37-2.78; MW: 0.94-1.01. Color. Head brown to dark brown, clypeus often paler than rest of head, yellowish brown, basal half of mandibles dark brown, apical half yellowish to yellowish brown, mesosoma brown to dark brown, pronotum often slightly paler than rest of mesosoma with yellowish margins, also posterior margin of propodeum often yellowish, petiolar scale dark brown, gaster dark brown to black, scapus brown with yellowish base, antennal funicle yellow, legs yellowish brown to brown, femora and coxa usually darker than tibiae and tarsi but trochanters paler than coxa and femora; in the palest specimens mesosoma yellowish brown but such colored specimens are very rare, in the darkest specimens whole head, mesosoma, petiolar scale and gaster dark brown to almost black, in intermediate workers predominate specimens with dark brown coloration. Head. Very elongate, 1.4-1.6 times as long as wide, sides in front of eyes straight and parallel, behind eyes regularly softly rounded, posterior margin rounded or in the middle straight . Clypeus pentagonal, in the middle forms rectangular plate protruding anterad, its anterior margin straight, simple to slightly crenulate, on sides anterior clypeal margin shallowly emarginate, sides of clypeus strongly converging posterad, straight, posterior margin straight but in the middle shallowly emarginate by frontal triangle, clypeal plate along middle with obtuse to sharp keel, whole surface distinctly microreticulated, surface shiny, covered with sparse and short appressed hairs, anterior margin in the middle with 7-9 very long setae, on sides with few short additional setae, central plate with 10-12 long, erected setae. Head microreticulate, sculpture in posterior half and sides of head often tends to form transverse or circular striation, background shiny to slightly dull, covered with sparse and short appressed pubescence, appears partly unhaired, frons along sides with row of 3-4 long erected setae and along middle with additional 1-3 short erected setae, vertex and central part of occipitum with 10-14 moderately long to long erected setae, also occipital corners with erected setae but gena and sides of head lacking erected setae, ventral side of head with 8-14 moderately long to long erected setae. Scape very elongate, thin, 1.8-2.0 times as long as width of head, slightly, regularly widened from base to apex, its surface microreticulate, slightly dull, anterior and frontal surface with short and sparse appressed pubescence, dorsal surface at least in apical half with distinctly subdecumbent to suberect hairs. Funicular segments elongate, thin, first segment approximately 3.4 times as long as wide and 1.2-1.3 times as long as second segment, third segment distinctly longer than second, the rest of funicular segments very elongate. Eyes large, elongate oval, 0.25 length of head. Mandibles stout, strongly microreticulate and punctate, surface shiny to slightly dull. Mesosoma. Elongate, 2.5-2.8 times as long as wide, distinctly sculptured tending to form longitudinal, lateral and oblique striation, surface shiny to slightly dull. In lateral view dorsum form regular arch, without mesonotal groove, propodeum never with shallow concavity, posteriorly very broadly rounded . Surface of mesosomal dorsum with short and scarce, hardly visible depressed hairs, lateral sides partly unhaired, pronotum with 6-8, mesonotum 2-6, propodeum 6-12 very long erected setae, number of erected setae does not increase with the size of intermediate workers. Waist and gaster. Petiole in form of broad, very thick scale with convex anterior and flat posterior face, apex regularly rounded; surface with distinct transverse striation covered with short and sparse appressed hairs, apical crest with 5-6 long erected setae. Gaster shorter than mesosoma, tergites with strong transverse microstriation, interspaces with diffused microsculpture thus surface of gaster appears shiny, covered with moderately elongate but scarce appressed hairs and numerous very long erected setae, appressed setae on posterior margin of tergites long, reaching to or behind the transparent margin. Legs. Elongate and thin, hind femora only slightly shorter than mesosoma, surface of legs covered with short, sparse appressed hairs and hind tibiae with moderately long subdecumbent to suberect hairs especially on posterior margin, inner margin of tibiae in apical 1/3length with 2-4 thorns. Ventral surface of fore femora with 5-7 long erected setae.

Major workers: HL: 3.550-3.650 (mean 3.605); HW: 3.400-3.575 (mean 3.500); SL: 2.973-3.067 (mean 2.342); EL: 0.587-0.683 (mean 0.629); ML: 4.21-4.47; MW: 1.96-2.07. Body colored as in minor workers but dark brown to almost black specimens predominate, mandibles sometimes mostly brown to black with paler masticatory teeth, scapus dark brown to black except pale base and apex, coxa and femora often yellow to rusty yellow, tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown. Head stouter, approximately as long as wide, widest in basal ¼ length, sides softly rounded and converging anterad, posterior margin deeply concave with occipital corners distinctly protruding posterad; rectangular anterior plate of clypeus shallowly emarginate on sides thus anterior corners slightly angulated, central plate of clypeus head with more than 14 erected setae, gular area with numerous short to long erected setae. Scape proportionally shorter, 0.9 times as long as width of head. Eyes proportionally smaller, 0.17 length of head; mesosoma stouter, 2.0-2.1 times as long as wide, in profile forming more convex arch, propodeum with less obtusely posterior angle. Pronotum, mesonotum and propodeum with numerous long, erected setae, petiolar crest with 8-10 very long erected setae. Ventral surface of fore femora with 7-12 long erected setae.

Queen

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - body predominantly black, coxa and femora partly yellowish- red.

Type Material

Salata et al. (2020) - Three syntype workers, Kefalonia, Greece. coll. Sangiorgi (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa). Syntype major worker images examined, AntWeb, CASENT0905287, photos by Will Ericson.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Agosti, D. and C.A. Collingwood. 1987. A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste. I. Synonymic list. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 60: 51-62
  • Aktaç, N.. "Studies on the myrmecofauna of Turkey I. Ants of Siirt, Bodrum and Trabzon." Istanbul Universitesi Fen Fakultesi Mecmuasi. Seri B 41 (1977): 115-135.
  • 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. 2017. Ants of the Peloponnese, Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Polish Journal of Entomology 86: 193-236.
  • 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
  • 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. 1914. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Bearbeitung von O. Leonhard's Sammlungen. 5. Südeuropäische Ameisen (Hym.). Entomologische Mitteilungen. Berlin-Dahlem 3: 156-159.
  • Emery, C.. "Le forme paleartiche del Camponotus maculatus F." Rendiconti delle Sessioni della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna (n.s.)9 (1905): 27-44.
  • Emery, C.. "Spicilegio mirmecologico." Bollettino della Societa Entomologica Italiana 33 (1901): 57-63.
  • Forel A. 1911. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 47: 331-400.
  • 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.
  • Lapeva-Gjonova, L., V. Antonova, A. G. Radchenko, and M. Atanasova. "Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria." ZooKeys 62 (2010): 1-124.
  • Legakis A. 1983. The Zoological Museum of the University of Athens 2. The collection of ants from Greece. Biologia Gallo-Hellenica 11(1): 85-87.
  • Legakis Collection Database
  • Petrov I. Z., and A. Legakis. 1996. Contribution to the Myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of Greece. Archives of biological sciences, Belgrade, 48 (3-4): 31-32.
  • 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.
  • Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2019. Preliminary division of not socially parasitic Greek Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with a description of three new species. ZooKeys 877: 81-131.
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