Camponotus libanicus André, 1881

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 : 14-15

Camponotus libanicus André, 1881

Camponotus libanicus André, 1881: 54 , pl. 3, figs. 14, 15 (w.): Syntype workers, Camponotus libanicus André. , Liban ( Lebanon) (MNHN) (leg. Abeille) [syntype images examined, AntWeb, CASENT0913700, photos by Alexandra Westrich and Will Ericson available on https://www.AntWeb.org].

= Camponotus kiesenwetteri var. cypria Emery, 1920: 26 (w.) syn. nov. Syntype worker, Cipro [ Cyprus] (MSNG) [Syntype worker images of Camponotus kiesenwetteri cyprius examined, AntWeb, CASENT0905397, photos by Zach Lieberman, available on https://www.AntWeb.org].

Diagnosis. Salata et al. (2019): 93 and Borowiec & Salata (2022): 99.

Distribution in Cyprus

2w.: Akrotiri UK SBA, Limassol Salt Lake loc. 2, 0 m, 34.609878 / 32.946854, 20 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 2w.: Famagusta , Kavo Greco, 51 m, 34.96647 / 34.06698, 25 IV 2022, J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( JDPC) ; 3w.: Larnaka , Dipotamos dam, 181 m, 34.8533 / 33.36168, 23 IV 2022, J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( JDPC) ; 5w.: Larnaka , Skarinou, 156 m, 34.81835 / 33.35652, 25 IV 2022, J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( JDPC) ; 2w.: Limassol , ad. Kyperounta loc. 1, 1324 m, 34.9334 / 32.9667, 15 IV 2001, Efstathiou ( MNHW) ; 2w.: Limassol , ad. Kyperounta loc. 2, 1325 m, 34.9335 / 32.9666, 15 IV 2001, Efstathiou ( NHMC) ; 1w.: Limassol , Agros, 1062 m, 34.9105 / 33.011, 19 VIII 2001, Tsaousis ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Limassol , Apollo Temple 2.5 km W of Kourion, 129 m, 34.673994 / 32.864125, 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Nicosia , Cedar Valley loc. 3, 1130 m, 34.980568 / 32.693155, 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 4w.: Nicosia , Kapedes, 680 m, 34.9669 / 33.240406, 24 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 2w.: Nicosia , 1.2 km W of Panagia Machaira monastery, 838 m, 34.937849 / 33.176931, 24 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 4w.: Nicosia , 3.4 km N of Farmakas, 677 m, 34.941458 / 33.143697, 24 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Nicosia , Dipotamos dam, 181 m, 34.91442 / 33.19712, 23 IV 2022, J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( JDPC) ; 1w.: Paphos , Agios Neofytos monastery n. Tala, 398 m, 34.84485 / 32.44509, 07 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Akamas Pen. Aphrodite Baths, 54 m, 35.05668 / 32.34433, 04 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 4w.: Paphos , Kato Paphos, Limnaria riv., 59 m, 34.76443 / 32.44022, 04 VII 2019, G. Hebda ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Panagia-Cedar Valley rd. loc. 2, 848 m, 34.94883 / 32.64575, 05 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 10w.: Paphos , Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia loc. 1, 364 m, 34.89749 / 32.36742, 04 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 18w.: Paphos , Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia loc. 2, 374 m, 34.89579 / 32.37039, 07 V 2012, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Akamas Pen., Avakas gorge, 33 m, 34.917575 / 32.332048, 18 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Diarizos river valley, Extreme View Cafe loc. 1, 251 m, 34.789525 / 32.693906, 19 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Diarizos river valley, Rocks of Chasampoulion loc. 1a, 269 m, 34.796595 / 32.702353, 19 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Diarizos river valley, Rocks of Chasampoulion loc. 1a, 269 m, 34.796595 / 32.702353, 19 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 3w.: Paphos , Ranti Forest, 31 m, 34.673377 / 32.606955, 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 6w.: Paphos , Evretou Dam, 172 m, 34.961659 / 32.477493, 21 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , 2.9 km E of Lisos, 540 m, 35.004479 / 32.54261, 21 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , 6.3 km E of Gialia, 434 m, 35.075019 / 32.565802, 23 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 10w.: Paphos , road F612 ad Ag. Konstantinos loc. 1, 368 m, 34.733589 / 32.64293, 28 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 2w.: Paphos , road F612 ad Ag. Konstantinos loc. 2, 397 m, 34.743291 / 32.671972, 28 IV 2022, L. Borowiec & S. Salata ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Agios Neofytos Monastery, 424 m, 34.846027 / 32.447846, 29 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 4w.: Paphos , ad Kalepia, 414 m, 34.837284 / 32.503188, 29 IV 2022 ( MNHW) ; 1w.: Paphos , Akamas Pen., Avakas gorge, 33 m, 34.9976 / 32.332, 18 IV 2022, J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( JDPC) ; 1w.: Paphos , Foini, Asprokremmos dam, 90 m, 34.7276 / 32.5528, 24 X 2022, J. Demetriou ( JDPC) ; 1w.: Paphos , Peyia, sea caves, 20 m, 34.8842 / 32.3335, 18 X 2022, J. Demetriou ( JDPC) .

Ecology

Camponotus libanicus has been collected from heterogeneous riparian, open or forest habitats such as herbs and bushes at lake shore, stream valleys, bushes at streambanks, shadow valley, marquis, a dry meadow close to dam, a xerothermic meadow, phrygana, and pine forests. It has been also found in agricultural land and urban habitats such as a sowed field next to road, gardens, roadsides, and a parking lot.

Comment

Camponotus kiesenwetteri var. cypria Emery, 1920 was recently synonymized with Camponotus kiesenwetteri (Roger, 1859) by Salata et al. (2019). However, the reexamination of the syntype worker preserved in Genoa Museum showed that the specimen bears characteristics typical for C. libanicus (regularly arched mesosoma in lateral with almost absent metanotal groove, black gaster, and thick petiolar scale). Additionally, the material recently collected in Cyprus confirmed that the only representative of the kiesenwetteri group present on the island is C. libanicus . Thus, considering the morphological and geographical evidence, we consider Camponotus kiesenwetteri cypria a junior synonym of C. libanicus .