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genus
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Camponotus
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Japanese Name
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Oo-ari-zoku
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Original Reference
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Mayr, G. (1861) Die EuropŠischen Formiciden. (Ameisen.): 80 pp. Wien.
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Description
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Medium to large ants: total length of workers ranging from 2.5 mm to over 20 mm. Most species are over 4 mm long. Antennae 12-segmented. Eyes large; ocelli absent. Antennal insertions well separated from posterior margin of clypeus. Palpal formula 6:4. Dorsal outline of mesosoma roundly convex in profile in Japanese species. Petiole a thick scale without spines or teeth. All Japanese species, and all but two other known foreign Camponotus species lack metapleural glands.
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Remarks
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Camponotus includes around 600 described species. It is widely distributed from the tropics to cool temperate areas of the globe. Nesting habits vary from subterranean to arboreal. Foraging workers are often found on the ground. Many species vary widely in size, and there is often considerable intraspecific geographical variation. The taxonomy of the genus is far from complete, and few regional or national faunas have been comprehensively reviewed. Emery (1925) listed over 1300 specific, subspecific and varietal names. Camponotus has been divided into many subgenera, most of which are obscure in definition and not clearly distinguishable, so that most taxonomists are inclined to ignore them. The major subgenus Colobopsis is often treated as a separate genus, especially in North America (Brown, 1973; Snelling 1981; Hoelldobler & Wilson, 1990 etc.). We have been unable confidently to delimit this taxon in the Oriental region, so treat it here as a subgenus of Camponotus. This is the largest Japanese ant genus with 25 species assigned to 6 subgenera.
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References
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- Emery, C. (1925). Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae. . In M. P. Wytsman, ed., ""Genera Insectorum"", fasc. , 183, 1-302.
- Brown, W. L., Jr. (1973). A comparison of the Hylean and Congo-West African rain forest ant faunas. InIn B. J. Meggers, E. S. Ayensu & W. D. Duckworth, eds., "Tropical Forest Ecosystems in Africa and South America: A Comparative Review" (pp. 161-185). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
- Snelling, R. R. (1981). Systematics of social Hymenoptera. . In H.R. Hermann ed.Social Insects, II, 369-453.
- Hoelldobler, B. & E. O. Wilson (1990). The ants. . , 732.
- Die EuropŠischen Formiciden. (Ameisen.): 80 pp. Wien.
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Editor
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Original text by Mamoru Terayama, Masaaki Morisita and Keiichi Onoyama. English translation by Mamoru Terayama, edited by Robert W. Taylor.
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