Camponotus figaro Collingwood & Yarrow 1969

[New Synonym]

[first available use of Camponotus lateralis subsp. piceus var. figaro Emery 1924]. Investigated were two syntype workers labeled ‘Cordoba 29-XII-922’, ‘ SYNTYPUS Camponotus lateralis piceus var. figaro Emery, 1924 ’, ‘ANTWEB CASENT 0905390’ from MCSN Genova. These workers with completely reddish pronotum (see data in section 4.3 on the low taxonomic value of color characters) are allocated to the C. piceus cluster with both p = 1.0000 if run as wild-card in a 5-class LDA considering the five black species of the group and they are in any structural character consistent with this species.

All material examined. A total of 70 nest samples with 137 workers were subject to NUMOBAT investigation. AUSTRIA: Bisamberg, 1884.09.27 [48.319, 16.360, 300]; Bisamberg, 1885.04.26 [48.319, 16.360, 300]; Bisamberg, 1885.09.26 [48.319, 16.360, 300]; Gumpoldskirchen- 2 km NE, [48.062, 16.292, 350]; Mödling vicinity (Franz), pre 1960, [48.08, 16.27, 300]; Spitz, Setzberg, 1994.05.13 [48.365, 15.396, 330]. BOSNIA: Miljevici, 1911.07.06 [43.84, 18.41, 1020]. BULGARIA: Borovec, 1977.08.01 [42.26, 23.61, 1300]; Dobrostan, 1982.09.12 [41.92, 24.90, 1470]; Melnik, 1982.08.29 [41.524, 23.401, 460]; Melnik, 1982.08.31 [41.538, 23.406, 465]; Melnik, 1982.09.01 [41.538, 23.406, 465]; Nessebar, 1974.07.20 [42.66, 27.71, 10]; Obsor, 1979.08.01, No 1, No 2 [42.82, 27.88, 30]; Ropotamo, 1982.09.18, No 2 [42.302, 27.728, 9]; Rozen- 2km SW, 1982.08.27 [41.516, 23.423, 439]; Sliwen (Forel), pre 1895 [42.69, 26.31, 420]. CROATIA: Abazzia (Opatija), 1911.06.02 [45.33, 14.31, 140]; Krk: Aerodrom- 1 km N, 1977.05.31 [45.229, 14.572, 92]; Krk: Aerodrom- 2 km N, 1977.05.30 [45.237, 14.560, 50]; Pakostane, 2008.09.06 [45.917, 15.500, 0]; Valalta, 2007.07.18 [45.126, 13.627, 25]. CZECHIA: Mohelno, 1993.08.28 [49.109, 16.186, 380]. FRANCE: Mancon- 25 km N, 1994.07.08 [46.581, 4.834, 335]; Menton, 2005.xx.xx [43.777, 7.498, 40]; Menton – 2.8 km N, 2011.08.10, neotype C. piceus [43.799, 7.488, 90]; Sigean, 1987.03.27 [43.00, 3.00, 15]. GERMANY: Günserode, 1983.05.31 [51.313, 11.049, 170]; Günserode, 2002.06.13, No 519, No 521 [51.313, 11.049, 170]; Horrheim, 2014.05.22, No 376 [48.971, 9.003, 226]; Kayh- 1 km ENE, 2013.06.12, No 2 [48.581, 8.934, 534]; Veitshöchheim (Goesswald), pre 1930 [49.854, 9.862, 240]; Veitshöchheim, 1929.08.29 [49.854, 9.862, 240]; Veitshöchheim, 1929.09.03 [49.854, 9.862, 240]. GREECE: Chania: Pilion, 1996.05.14, No 218 [39.398, 23.045, 1200]; Corfou: Klimatia, 2013.06.06 [39.741, 19.790, 311]; Kanali- 1 km N, 1996.05.19 [39.076, 20.688, 17]; Litohoro- 4 km W, 1996.05.13 [40.112, 22.480, 600]; Volos: Pilos, 1992.06.30 [39.36, 23.08, 600]; Taxiarhis, 2009.08.30 [40.400, 23.517, 594]. HUNGARY: Budapest-Ujpest, 1909.xx.xx [47.567, 19.092, 110]. ITALY: Garda- 1 km NE, 1995.06.15 [45.59, 10.73, 260]; Imola (Mayr), pre 1854, lectotype C. foveolata [44.36, 11.71, 44]; Klausen- 0.4 km N, 2013.09.08 [46.642, 11.568, 579]; Stresa, 1957.08.29 [45.88, 8.52, 330]; Monte Ragogna, 2010.08.28 [46.187, 12.966, 353]; Schlanders (Silandro), 1972.05.03, No 4737 [46.63, 10.77, 900]; Schlanders (Silandro), 1972.05.07 [46.63, 10.77, 900]; Vinschgau, 1991.07.23, No 14603 [46.690, 11.068, 1000]; Vinschgau, 1998.08.19, No 9 [46.690, 11.068, 1000]; San Remo, 1900.xx.xx [43.82, 7.78, 60]; Sardegna: Arcu Correboi, 1994.05.xx [40.10, 9.35, 1150]; Triest: Opcina, 1911.05.28 [45.69, 13.79, 323]. MACEDONIA: Star Dojran, 2010.04.26 [41.169, 22.717, 240]. MONTENEGRO: Castelnuevo, 1911.06.15 [42.46, 18.53, 160]. ROMANIA: Baile Herculeane, 1909.06.10 [44.87, 22.41, 135]; Mehadia, 1909.06.01 [44.90, 22.36, 166]; Mehadia, 1909.06.10 [44.90, 22.36, 166]. SLOVAKIA: Bratislava-Devin, 1989.06.20 [48.199, 16.975, 193]; Devinska Kobyla, 2017.06.02 [48.199, 16.975, 193]; Vinne, 1983.08.29 [48.819, 21.950, 280]; Zemplinska Sirava, 1983.08.31 [48.621, 21.341, 171]. SLOVENIA: Triest: Divaca, 1911.05.30 [45.68, 13.97, 436]. SPAIN: Cadaques, 2011.09.02 [42.300, 3.217, 203]; Cordoba, 1909.12.29, syntypes C. figaro [37.888, -4.78, 140]; El Mirador, 1986.xx.xx [37.84, -0.85, 64]; Llanca, 2011.09.02 [42.35, 3.10, 79]; Selva, 2011.08.30 [41.783, -2.850, 230]; Viladrau, 1928.08.13 [41.848, 2.390, 825].

Geographic range. From Iberia to Balkans, south Central Europe north to 51.3°N. It is not known so far from Asia Minor and is apparently a western parapatric sibling species of C. candiotes. There is broad range overlap with C. atricolor in E Central Europe and the Balkans.

Diagnosis. The character combinations to identify this species can be derived from the key, Tab. 3, Figs 14 and 15 and the following pictures in AntWeb.org: CASENT0173136 (minor worker), CASENT0249995 (minor), CASENT09115597 (major, lectotype C. foveolata).

Biology. see Seifert (2018).

Comments. For species delimitation from Camponotus candiotes and C. atricolor by exploratory and hypothesis-driven data analyses see there.