Camponotus maculatus group

  • Synopsis
  • Diagnostic Characters
  • Comparison Chart
  • Images
  • Video
  • Nomenclature
  • References & Links

Threat Level: Low

The Camponotus maculatus group includes a wide diversity of forms from the Old World that have been variously referred to as species, subspecies, varieties and races. In the Pacific, C. chloroticus and C. variegatus are two names commonly given to specimens belonging to this group. However, until the taxonomy is better understood, it is recommended specimens matching the characters illustrated in PIAkey be determined as belonging simply to the C. maculatus group.

Camponotus is a diverse genus with many hundreds of native species across the world, including the Pacific Islands. Care must taken to ensure the specimens under investigation are not part of the native fauna. Good characters to differentiate among species of Camponotus include, but are not limited to, the following:

The worker caste of the genus is polymorphic, meaning that a single colony will produce workers of various sizes. The largest workers are often referred to as majors, or soldiers, and can appear quite different from smaller workers of the same nest.

Although the C. maculatus group is widespread across the Pacific, it is not known to cause significant harm to the environment, agriculture or public health.

  • Minor and major workers large in size (≥5mm); yellow to pale brown in color with long limbs
  • Major workers present with larger heads and more robust bodies
  • One waist segment (petiole)

  • Petiole raised
  • Gaster armed with acidopore
  • Metanotum not impressed
  • Antennal scape length less than twice head length
  • Erect hairs abundant, thin, long and not produced in pairs
  • Head longer than wide

Camponotus maculatus group vs. Anoplolepis gracilipes, Paratrechina species & Plagiolepis alluaudi

  C. maculatus group A. gracilipes Paratrechina species Pl. alluaudi
Head
Profile
Metanotum


not impressed


impressed


impressed


not impressed
Antennal scapes


< twice head length


~ twice length of head


< twice head length


< twice head length
Erect hairs


many, thin & not produced in pairs


few, thin & not produced in pairs


many, thick & produced in pairs


few, thin & not produced in pairs
Head shape


longer than broad (oval)


longer than broad (oval)


longer than broad (oval)


width equal to length (circular)
Worker caste


polymorphic


monomorphic


monomorphic


monomorphic
Size
large (≥5mm)
medium (≥4mm)
small (<3mm)
minute (<2mm)
 
C. maculatus group
A. gracilipes
Paratrechina species
Pl. alluaudi


C. chloroticus
CASENT0171139
(minor, face)


C. chloroticus
CASENT0171140
(major, face)


C. chloroticus
CASENT0171139
(minor, profile)


C. chloroticus
CASENT0171140
(major, profile)

C. chloroticus
CASENT0171139
(minor, dorsal)
C. chloroticus
CASENT0171140
(major, dorsal)

C. chloroticus
CASENT0171139
(minor, label)
C. chloroticus
CASENT0171140
(major, label)

No video is available for this species.

Camponotus maculatus group

Subfamily Formicinae

As discussed in the overview section, the taxonomy of Camponotus maculatus and it scores of closely related species and subspecies is currently too unstable for confident specimen determination without close examination of the type material and a review of the literature.

The C. maculatus group is informally and incompletely defined here to include the following species (and their subspecies) that occur in the Pacific Island region:

  • C. chloroticus
  • C. eperiamorum
  • C. navigator
  • C. variegatus

Camponotus chloroticus. Camponotus maculatus subsp. chloroticus Emery, 1897d: 574 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Emery, 1914f: 424 (m.). Combination in C. (Myrmoturba): Emery, 1914f: 424; in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 94. Subspecies of irritans: Emery, 1920c: 7; Karavaiev, 1933a: 316. Raised to species, senior synonym of chlorogaster, sanctaecrucis, and material of the unavailable name samoaensis referred here: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 93.

Camponotus eperiamorum. Camponotus eperiamorum Clouse, 2007: 5, plate 1, fig. a-f, (w) POHNPEI.

Camponotus navigator. Camponotus (Myrmoturba) navigator Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 94, fig. 77 (s.w.q.) SAMOA.

Camponotus variegatus. Formica variegata Smith, F. 1858b: 19 (w.q.) SRI LANKA. Imai et al., 1984: 9 (k.). Combination in Camponotus: Mayr, 1862: 656; in C. (Myrmoturba): Forel, 1913k: 125; in C. (Tanaemyrmex): Emery, 1925b: 95. Variety of sylvaticus: Mayr, 1880: 21; of maculatus: Forel, 1886f: 149. Revived status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 256; Santschi, 1920h: 173; Emery, 1920c: 7. Senior synonym of hawaiensis: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 95. Current subspecies: nominal plus ambonensis, bacchus, batta, cleon, comottoi, crassinodis, dulcis, flavotestaceus, fuscithorax, infuscus, intrans, proles, somnificus, stenonotus.

  • Antweb (C. chloroticus): specimen images, data & maps
  • Antweb (C. navigator): specimen images, data & maps
  • Antweb (C. variegatus): specimen images, data & maps

  • Bolton, B. (1995) A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 504 pp.

  • Clouse, R.M. (2007) The ants of micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Micronesia, 39, 171-295.

  • Clouse, R.M. (2007) New ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Micronesia. Zootaxa, 1475, 1-19.

  • Wilson, E.O. & Taylor, R.W. (1967) The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph, 14, 1-109.