Camponotus sophiae

Camponotus sophiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Subgenus:	Myrmamblys
Species group:	inquilinus
Species:	C. sophiae
Binomial name
	Camponotus sophiae; Zettel & Balàka, 2018 Holotype Labels

Only known from the type locality in Phang-nga Province, Thailand.

Identification

Zettel et al. (2018) - Minor worker: Body chiefly light brown; head tending to orange red; gaster ventrally infuscated. Trunk, including pronotum with dense microreticulation, matt. Clypeus basally slightly emarginated and with distinct median impression of about one third of length. Flagellum long, antennomere 7 almost three times as long as wide. Propodeum with straight dorsal outline.

Major worker and gyne unknown.

This species is similar in colour to Camponotus weiserti from the same locality. It differs by the matt, densely reticulated pronotum, a longer median impression at the base of the clypeus, and in a longer flagellum: antennomere 7 is about three times as long as wide, while hardly more than twice as long in C. weiserti.

Keys including this Species

Key to Camponotus Myrmamblys inquilinus species group

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Thailand (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

sophiae. Camponotus (Myrmamblys) sophiae Zettel & Balàka, in Zettel, Balàka, et al. 2018: 141, figs. 36-39 (w.) THAILAND.

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

Description

Worker

Minor Holotype: HW 1.28; HL 1.37; SL 1.50; SW 0.15; EL 0.40; ML 2.02; HaL 0.33; FeL 1.65; CI 94; SI 117; EI 31; FeI 128. Ward’s Indices: ASM/HWex 0.28; ASM/CLW 0.59; CLW/CLL 1.40. Paratype (n = 1): HW 1.24; HL 1.41; SL 1.46; SW 0.15; EL 0.40; ML 1.89; HaL 0.34; FeL 1.70; CI 88; SI 118; EI 32; FeI 137. Ward’s Indices: ASM/HWex 0.27; ASM/CLW 0.56; CLW/CLL 1.42.

Structures: Head roundish, uniformly reticulated and matt dorsally and laterally, ventrally with slightly reduced microsculpture and somewhat shiny. Lateral outline of eye and head contiguous. Vertex moderately raised. Frons with hardly discernable shiny midline. Clypeus with very small emargination at middle of basal margin, distal margin slightly protruded in middle, basally with a rather deep, shiny median impression. Mandible punctate, with five teeth. Mesosoma slender and very low, densely reticulated and matt; dorsal outline of pronotum and posterior slope of propodeum moderately convex, outline of mesonotum and anterior part of propodeum straight. Petiole with very high node, its anterior and posterior face parallel, apex strongly obliquely truncated. Gaster tergites with dense reticulation.

Pilosity: Pale long standing setae abundant all over dorsum, longest on propodeum, petiole, gaster tergites 1 and 4. Subdecumbent pubescence short, thin, whitish, rather inconspicuous. Colour: Trunk reddish, tending to orange on head and mesosoma, and to luteous on petiole and gaster; in the paratype the mesosoma also rather luteous, and gaster with posteriorly slightly infuscated tergites; ventral side of gaster black; tergites 2–4 with very narrow translucent margins. Antenna and legs dark brown; scape yellowish.

Type Material

Holotype (minor worker #413; NHMW) from Thailand, Phang-nga Province, Khao Lak N.P., Thone Chong Fa Falls, N 8°40', E 98°18', 100–300 m a.s.l., leg. A. Schulz & K. Vock, #T11.
Paratypes (NHMW): 1 minor worker (#418), same label data.

Etymology

This species is named after the first author’s younger daughter, Sophie.

References