Camponotus troodosensis, Salata & Demetriou & Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023

Salata, Sebastian, Demetriou, Jakovos, Georgiadis, Christos & Borowiec, Lech, 2023, Camponotus Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Cyprus: generic synopsis and description of a new species, Asian Myrmecology (e 016007) 16, pp. 1-33 : 20-27

Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 798FF163-4D55-4F26-B392- F45CB773D089

( Figs 8–20 )

Type material (pined). Holotype: major worker ( DBETCT001 ): CYPRUS, Paphos, 540 m | 2.9 km E of Lisos | 35.00447 / 32.54256 | 21 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ( MNHW); 16 paratypes ( DBETCT002 - DBETCT017 ): 3 major workers, 8 medium workers, 5 minor workers: the same data as holotype ( JDPC, MNHW, MHNG, ZMUA); 13 paratypes ( DBETCT018 - DBETCT030 ): 4 major workers, 4 medium workers, 5 minor workers: CYPRUS, Paphos, 1067 m | Cedar Valley loc. 1 | 34.98837 / 32.67748 | 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ( MNHW, USMB); 3 paratypes ( DBETCT031 - DBETCT033 ): one major worker, two minor workers: CYPRUS, Paphos, 72 m | Pomos | 35.1548 / 32.5465 | 22 III 2022, J. Demetriou ( MNHW).

Other material examined (in EtOH). 17w.: the same data as holotype ( MNHW) ; 34w.: Paphos, 1067 m,| Cedar Valley loc. 1, 34.98837 / 32.67748,| 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 5w.: Paphos, 72 m, Pomos , 35.1548 / 32.5465, 22 III 2022, J. Demetriou ( MNHW) ; 2w.: Paphos, Panagia-Cedar Valley rd. loc. 2, 848 m, 34.94883 / 32.64575, 5 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 5w.: Paphos, Cedar Valley , 1196 m, 34.99503 / 32.68732, 5 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) .

Etymology. Named after Troodos Mts. where most of the sites for this new species were located.

Diagnosis. A member of the subgenus Tanaemyrmex . It belongs to the complex of large species with very large major workers with a deeply emarginate occipital part of head and scapus, and tibiae with only appressed hairs (hairs not suberect as in the samius complex). In the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin the complex contains the following species: Camponotus baldaccii Emery, 1908 , C. cecconii Emery, 1908 , C. fellah Dalla Torre, 1893 , C. kugleri Ionescu-Hirsch, 2009 , C. oasium Forel, 1890 , C. sanctus Forel, 1904 , C. sinaiticus Ionescu-Hirsch, 2009 , C. thoracicus (Fabricius, 1804) and C. xerxes Forel, 1904 .

Camponotus oasium , C. sanctus , C. sinaiticus , C. thoracicus and C. xerxes differ in lack of erect setae on the ventral side of head. The rare form of C. sanctus with 1-3 short erect setae in the ventral part of the head differs in its larger body size with HL in major workers up to 4.18 mm (mean 4.05 mm) and distinctly depressed outer surface of hind tibiae with a shallow sulcus on almost the entirety of their length in major workers. Camponotus fellah and C. kugleri differ in darker body coloration (with predominantly black major workers) and dull body surface with stronger microsculpture. Camponotus baldaccii differs in its paler color (in minor workers head, mesosoma and first two tergites of gaster yellow), and slightly larger major workers with HL 2.907 -3.453 (mean 3.253) and WL 3.71- 4.40. Also, C. baldaccii and C. troodosensis are separated geographically - the first species does not occur in Cyprus. Camponotus cecconii and C. troodosensis are sympatric in Cyprus and very similar, but C. cecconii differs in its completely dark brown to black gastral tergites (only sometimes the anterior slope of the first gastral tergite in minor and medium workers is slightly paler brown than the posterior dorsum, but its coloration is never yellow and always gradually changes from lighter to darker), while in C. troodosensis , if the anterior slope of the first gastral tergite is not yellow but ochraceous to yellowish brown, then the pale color is distinctly separated from the dark posterior dorsum.

Description. Major worker (n=7, Figs. 8-11 ):

Measurements. HL: 2.854 (2.60-3.20); HW: 2.661 (2.34-2.83); SL: 2.217 (2.04-2.38); EL: 0.559 (0.49-0.59); PW: 1.677 (1.52-1.83); PTH: 0.763 (0.67-0.89); PTW: 0.314 (0.29-0.34); WL: 3.476 (3.28-3.80); HFL: 2.601 (2.46-2.88); CI: 1.073 (1.025 -1.130); SI: 0.834 (0.793 -0.872); PI: 2.434 (2.088 -2.793); FI: 0.748 (0.726 -0.769).

Color. Head black or occipital corners slightly paler colored, yellowish-brown or brown; mesosoma bicolored, dorsum brown to brownishblack then gradually paler on sides; pronotal sides close to margin, episterna and petiolar base of propodeum yellow to ochraceous; petiolar squama yellow; gaster predominantly black, anterior slope of first gastral tergite with large yellow patch, transparent posterior margins of tergites yellow, dorsal punctures on first gastral tergite and in anterior rows of subsequent tergites with yellow areola. Femora yellow, tibiae yellowish-brown, tarsi brown but in the palest major workers legs uniformly yellow. Antennal scape brown to black, only base and apex yellowish to reddish-brown ( Figs. 8-10 ).

Head. Very large, subrectangular,widest behind eyes, sides in the middle softly converging anterad, gena more converging anterad, occipital corners broadly rounded, posterior margin deeply concave thus posterolateral corners protruding posterad ( Figs. 10, 11 ). Anterior clypeal margin straight, with a row of six large setae; between the large setae and on the sides of the anterior margin, additional setae twice to thrice shorter than large ones; clypeal plate distinctly microreticulate but shiny, sometimes with rudiment of median keel; covered with very sparse and short, hardly visible appressed pubescence; on the sides with 8-10 long yellow, erect setae. Eyes small and oval, approximately 1.2 × as long as wide and 0.4 × as long as gena. Frontal carinae short, extending to half the length of the eyes, regularly arched, frontal plate with thin shiny median groove, surface microreticulated and with very sparse and shallow punctuation, each puncture with very short appressed seta, sides with a row of four long erect setae, as long as setae on clypeus. Antennal fossa shallow, without special sculpture. Head densely microreticulated, below eyes slightly shiny, posterior half dull, with short and sparse appressed pubescence, gena, sides and occipital corners without erect setae, only area behind frons with a group of 4-6 long erect setae. Ventral side with 6-10 erect setae, twice to thrice shorter than the longest setae on clypeus. Antennal scape moderately long; in frontal view almost straight, 0.8-0.9 × as long as the width of the head, apex slightly and gradually widened; funiculus longer than the scape, pedicel elongated, approximately 1.3 × as long as segment 2 and 1.2 × as segment 3 ( Fig. 10 ). Scape densely microreticulated and with sparse punctuation, shiny basally to slightly dull apically, covered with short, sparse yellowish hairs, no decumbent setae. Mandibles rounded, basally diffusely microreticulated but shiny, with moderately coarse and dense setose punctuation, no longitudinal grooves.

Mesosoma. Long, 2.01-2.20 × as long as wide, dorsum of promesonotum forms regular arch, propodeum flat or very shallowly concave ( Fig. 9 ). Pronotum rounded on sides ( Fig. 8 ). Mesosoma is densely microreticulated, slightly dull, with sparse, hairy punctuation. Pronotum sometimes with 3-5, mesonotum 2-5 and propodeum posteriorly 3-6 long, yellow erect setae, as long as setae on clypeus.

Petiole. Squamiform, thin, 2.1-2.9 × as long as broad, apex regularly rounded, anterior face slightly convex, posterior face flat, apicolateral corners with one long and one twice shorter yellow seta, the longer as long as ⅔ the length of the longest setae on the clypeus. Petiole distinctly microreticulated, shiny to slightly dull. Gaster. With fine transverse striation but shiny. First tergite only posteriorly, subsequent tergites on whole surface with short and sparse appressed pubescence, distance between hair 4-6 × larger than the length of hair; top of first tergite slightly behind the middle with a pair of long, yellow erect setae up to 0.476 mm length and a row of 4 similar setae close to the posterior margin; tergites 2 and 3 at base with a row of 4-6 long yellow setae, and close to the posterior margin a row of 10 setae. Each of gastral sternites with a row of long, yellow erect setae close to posterior margin. Legs. Elongate, hind femora 0.73-0.77 × as long as mesosoma (mean FI 0.748). Dorsal, lateral and ventral surfaces of femora and tibiae covered with yellow, sparse, appressed hairs. Ventral surfaces of hind tibiae in their apical half with a row of spiniform setae. Lateral surface of hind tibiae flat to slightly convex, sometimes with rudiment of very shallow median sulcus.

Minor worker (n=7, Figs. 16-19 ): Measurements. HL: 1.514 (1.38-1.59); HW: 1.024 (0.92-1.09); SL: 1.831 (1.76-1.90); EL: 0.401 (0.36-0.45); PW: 0.920 (0.84-0.97); PTH: 0.433 (0.38-0.47); PTW: 0.254 (0.25-0.26); WL: 2.293 (2.13-2.37); HFL: 2.014 (1.91-2.20); CI: 1.479 (1.434 -1.500); SI: 1.792 (1.714 -1.913); PI: 1.703 (1.462 -1.808); FI: 0.880 (0.830 -0.987).

Color. Head bicolored, mandibles, clypeus and anterior part of gena yellow to ochraceous, frons, vertex, head dorsum anterior to vertex, posterior part of gena and postocular area orangebrown to reddish-brown, the pale parts gradually fade into the darker parts. Mesosoma uniformly yellow or mesonotum and propodeum slightly darker than pronotum, orange; petiolar squama yellow, gaster predominantly dark brown to black, anterior slope of first gastral tergite with large yellow patch, transparent posterior margins of tergites yellow, dorsal punctures on the first gastral tergite and in anterior rows of subsequent tergites often with yellow areola. Legs and antennae uniformly yellow. ( Figs. 16-18 ).

Head. Elongate, 1.7-1.9 × as long as wide, almost parallel-sided or slightly widest at gena, behind the eyes softly rounded, posterior margin straight ( Figs. 18, 19 ). Anterior clypeal margin straight, with a row of six large setae, the middle two with a length up to 0.238 mm, lateral setae gradually shorter; between the large setae and on the sides of the anterior margin few additional very short setae; clypeal plate distinctly microreticulate but shiny, with obtuse median keel, covered with very sparse and short, hardly visible appressed pubescence, on sides with 6 long yellow, erect setae. Eyes moderately large and oval, approximately 1.3 × as long as wide and 0.7 × as long as the gena. Frontal carinae short, extending to half the length of the eyes, softly arched; frons without median groove but with faint longitudinal line without microreticulation, surface microreticulate, sides with a row of four long erect setae, the longest slightly shorter than the longest setae on clypeus. Antennal fossa shallow, without special sculpture. Head densely microreticulate, below eyes slightly shiny, posterior half from shiny to slightly opalescent, with short and sparse appressed pubescence; gena, sides and occipital corners without erect setae, dorsum of head posterior to frontal carinae lined with three pairs of long erect setae, including one pair on the vertex close to the posterior margin. Ventral side with 5-6 erect setae, twice to thrice shorter than the longest setae on clypeus. Antennal scape long; in frontal view almost straight, 1.7-1.9 × as long as the width of the head, apex slightly and gradually widened; funiculus longer than scape, pedicel elongated, approximately 1.4 × as long as segment 2 and 1.2 × as segment 3 ( Fig. 18 ). Scape microreticulate but shiny, covered with short, sparse yellowish hairs. Mandibles rounded, surface diffusely to distinctly microreticulated but shiny, with moderately coarse and dense setose punctuation and numerous suberect setae, no longitudinal grooves.

Mesosoma. Long, 2.4-2.6 × as long as wide, the whole dorsum forms a regular arch or the mesonotum is placed slightly higher than the pronotum ( Fig. 17 ). Pronotum rounded on the sides ( Fig. 16 ). Mesosoma densely microreticulated, sculpture tends to form longitudinal or oblique striation, slightly dull, with short and sparse pubescence. Pronotum with 2, mesonotum 2-3 and propodeum posteriorly with 2 long, yellow erect setae, as long as setae on clypeus.

Petiole. Almost cubical, thick, 1.5-1.8 × as long as broad, apex angulate, anterior face strongly convex, posterior face almost flat, apicolateral corners with one long seta, as long as 2/3 length of the longest setae on the clypeus. Petiole distinctly microreticulated and striate, shiny.

Gaster. With fine transverse striation but shiny. First tergite only posteriorly, subsequent tergites on its whole surface with short and sparse appressed pubescence, distance between hair 4-6 × larger than the length of the hair; top of first tergite slightly behind the middle with a pair of long, yellow erect setae up to 0.381 mm in length and a row of 4 similar setae close to the posterior margin; tergites 2 and 3 at base with a row of 4 long yellow setae, and close to the posterior margin a row of 6 setae. Each of gastral sternites with a row of long, yellow erect setae close to the posterior margin.

Legs. Elongate, hind femora 0.83-0.98 × as long as the mesosoma (mean FI 0.880). Dorsal and lateral surfaces of femora and tibiae covered with yellow, sparse appressed hairs.Ventral surfaces of hind tibiae in their apical half with a row of spiniform setae. Lateral surface of hind tibiae convex.

Medium worker ( Figs 12-15 ): In all characters intermediate between minor and major workers. Head darker than in minor workers, almost completely brown except reddish spots on clypeus, stouter than in minor worker with CI 1.1-1.2 but with posterior margin only slightly concave and occipital corners not or only slightly protruding posterad ( Fig. 15 ). Color of mesosoma darker than in minor workers with dorsum of pro- and mesonotum and propodeum with pale brown patches but never as dark as in major workers ( Figs. 12, 13 ). Antennal scapes yellow as in minor workers. Pale spot at the base of the first gastral tergite often darker than in minor and major workers but never concolor with the posterior half of the first tergite.

Biological notes. All nests were located under large stones inside or on the outskirts of a luminous pine forest at low and mid altitudes between 72 and 1196 m.

Notes on previous checklists

Camponotus herculeanus has not been detected in Cyprus following the records of Georghiou (1977). Nevertheless, it is known that Georghiou’s list excluded earlier publications and several species were misidentified ( Preiss & Platia 2003; Austin et al. 2008). Camponotus herculeanus is a species which can be relatively easily recognized among ants of the subgenus Camponotus as the scape of the larger majors and females reaches or barely surpasses the posterior lateral corner of the head. No other species of the subgenus Camponotus was identified in our material, while the species is also absent from other Mediterranean islands such as Crete, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearics despite of it being present in neighbouring mainland countries ( Janicki et al. 2016; Guénard et al. 2017). Also, there is no habitat suitable for this species in Cyprus. Thus, we tentatively suggest the removal of C. herculeanus from the myrmecofauna of Cyprus.

Regarding the subgenus Myrmentoma , C. kiesenwetteri cypria is now regarded as a junior synonym of C. libanicus . Records of C. honaziensis mentioned in Borowiec & Salata (2012), Borowiec (2014) and Salata & Borowiec (2015) concern collected material that had been misidentified and corresponds to the setose form of C. lateralis . Thus, both species are removed from the Camponotus fauna of Cyprus.

Lastly, five species of the subgenus Tanaemyrmex were not recovered during our sampling in Cyprus. Records of C. compressus and C. maculatus in neighboring regions have been deemed dubious ( Janicki et al. 2016; Guénard et al. 2017), while the presence of C. aethiops , C. baldaccii and C. thoracicus in Cyprus concerned records repeated by Borowiec & Salata (2012) and Borowiec (2014) based on the Fauna Europaea website ( Radchenko 2007). The latter database is known to include several misplaced taxa as indicated in Schifani & Alicata (2018) and Demetriou et al. (2023).

Figures

Figs 8, 9. Major worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT001) 8 dorsal 9 lateral (scale bar = 2 mm).

Figs 10, 11. Major worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT001) 10 head and antennae 11 head sculpture (scale bar = 1 mm).

Figs 12, 13. Medium worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT002) 12 dorsal 13 lateral (scale bar = 2 mm).

Figs 14, 15. Medium worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT002) 14 head and antennae 15 head sculpture (scale bar = 1 mm).

Figs 16, 17. Minor worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT003) 16 dorsal 17 lateral (scale bar = 2 mm).

Figs 18, 19. Minor worker of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. (DBETCT003) 18 head and antennae 19 head sculpture (scale bar = 1 mm).

Fig.e 20. Distribution map of Camponotus troodosensis sp. nov. and Camponotus cf. vitiosus.