Camponotus cruentatus

Camponotus cruentatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Camponotus
Species:	C. cruentatus
Binomial name
Camponotus cruentatus (Latreille, 1802) Specimen Labels
Subspecies
Camponotus cruentatus asper Menozzi, 1925
Synonyms
Camponotus cruentatus cruentior Santschi, 1931 Camponotus cruentatus lindbergi Santschi, 1931 Formica gigas Leach, 1825 Formica opaca Nylander, 1856

This ant was found by Boulay et al. (2007) to be one of two important ant dispersers (also Formica lugubris) of myrmecochorous seeds of the plant Helleborus feotidus. C. cruentatus was responsible for 45% of the observed visits and 67% of the observed seed removals from a population from southern Spain.

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Biology

Associations with other Organisms

Other Insects

This ant has been observed tending larvae of Lampides boeticus. C. cruentatus has also been associated with the butterfly Glaucopsyche alexis (Obregon et al. 2015).

Fungi

This taxon is a host for the fungi Ophiocordyceps halabalaensis and Ophiocordyceps ridleyi (Shrestha et al., 2017).

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.

• cruentatus. Formica cruentata Latreille, 1802c: 116, pl. 3, fig. 10 (w.) "L'habitation est inconnue. Je soupçonne qu'elle est d'Afrique." [Distribution is Mediterranean.] Roger, 1862b: 255 (q.m.); Emery, 1916b: 230 (s.). Combination in Camponotus: Mayr, 1861: 36; in C. (Myrmosericus): Forel, 1914a: 268. Senior synonym of opaca and material of the unavailable name bucephala referred here: Roger, 1859: 228; Mayr, 1861: 36. Senior synonym of gigas Leach: Dalla Torre, 1893: 227; of cruentior, lindbergi: Cagniant, 1991b: 51. See also: André, 1882b: 155; Cagniant, 1985b: 77; Cagniant, 1991b: 42. Current subspecies: nominal plus asper.
• gigas. Formica gigas Leach, 1825: 292 (w.q.m.) FRANCE. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of gigas Latreille, above.] Junior synonym of herculeanus: Roger, 1859: 229; of cruentatus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 227.
• opaca. Formica opaca Nylander, 1856b: 55, pl. 3, fig. 16 (w.) FRANCE. Junior synonym of cruentatus: Roger, 1859: 228; Mayr, 1861: 36.
• cruentior. Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cruentatus var. cruentior Santschi, 1931a: 12 (s.w.) MOROCCO. Junior synonym of cruentatus: Cagniant, 1991b: 51.
• lindbergi. Camponotus (Myrmosericus) cruentatus var. lindbergi Santschi, 1931a: 12 (s.w.) MOROCCO. Junior synonym of cruentatus: Cagniant, 1991b: 51.

Type Material

• Formica cruentata Latreille, 1802: Syntype, Africa, museum unknown (probably MNHN (Paris)).

Description

Karyotype

• n = 18; 20, karyotype = 12SM+5ST+3T (Spain) (Hauschteck-Jungen & Jungen, 1983; Lorite et al., 2002b).

References

• André, E. 1882c. Les fourmis. [part]. Pp. 153-232 in: André, Edm. 1881-1886. Species des Hyménoptères d'Europe et d'Algérie. Tome Deuxième. Beaune: Edmond André, 919 + 48 pp. (page 155, see also)
• Boulay, R., J. Coll-Toledano, A. J. Manzaneda, and X. Cerdá. 2007. Geographic variations in seed dispersal by ants: are plant and seed traits decisive? Naturwissenschaften. 94(3):242-246.
• Cagniant, H. 1985b. Contribution à la connaissance des fourmis marocaines. Étude des Camponotus du groupe cruentatus au Maroc (Hyménoptères - Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Toulouse 121: 77-84 (page 77, see also)
• Cagniant, H. 1991b. Étude des populations marocaines de la superespèce Camponotus cruentatus Latreille. Mise en evidence de Camponotus obscuriventris sp. n. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). EOS. Rev. Esp. Entomol. 67: 35-54 (page 51, senior synonym of cruentior and lindbergi)
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 227, senior synonym of gigas Leach)
• Emery, C. 1916a [1915]. Fauna entomologica italiana. I. Hymenoptera.-Formicidae. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 47: 79-275 (page 230, soldier described)
• Forel, A. 1914a. Le genre Camponotus Mayr et les genres voisins. Rev. Suisse Zool. 22: 257-276 (page 268, combination in C. (Myrmosericus))
• Latreille, P. A. 1802b. Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des Crustacés et des insectes. Tome 3. Familles naturelles des genres. Paris: F. Dufart, xii + 467 pp. (page 116, pl. 3, fig. 10 worker described)
• Mayr, G. 1861. Die europäischen Formiciden. Nach der analytischen Methode bearbeitet. Wien: C. Gerolds Sohn, 80 pp. (page 36, combination in Camponotus, senior synonym of opaca, and material of the unavailable name bucephala referred here.)
• Obregon, R., M. R. Shaw, J. Fernandez-Haeger, and D. Jordano. 2015. Parasitoid and ant interactions of some Iberian butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Shilap-Revista De Lepidopterologia. 43:439-454.
• Roger, J. 1859. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Ameisenfauna der Mittelmeerländer. I. Berl. Entomol. Z. 3: 225-259 (page 228, senior synonym of opaca, and material of the unavailable name bucephala referred here.)
• Roger, J. 1862b. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Ameisenfauna der Mittelmeerländer. II. Berl. Entomol. Z. 6: 255-262 (page 255, queen, male described)
• Shrestha B, Tanaka E, Hyun MW, Han JG, Kim CS, Jo JW, Han SK, Oh J, Sung JM, Sung GH. 2017. Mycosphere Essay 19. Cordyceps species parasitizing hymenopteran and hemipteran insects. Mycosphere 8(9): 1424–1442 (DOI 10.5943/mycosphere/8/9/8).