Camponotus yambaru

Japanese Name

Usuki-oo-ari

Terayama, M. (1999) Ant genus Camponotus Mayr (Hymenoptera; Formicidae) in Japan. Memoirs of the Myrmecological Society of Japan 1: 25-48.

Total length around 3.5 mm in minor workers, 5 mm in majors. Body color yellowish brown. In major workers: head somewhat darker than mesosoma and gaster; mandibles each with 6 teeth; scapes short, just reaching posterior margin of head; mesosoma short, pro- and mesonotal dorsa almost flat in profile; in dorsal view, pronotal disc wide; propodeal declivity abruptly declivitous; dorsum of pro- and mesonota each with 2 to 4 erect hairs; propodeum with about 10 erect hairs; petiolar scale thin, with hairs dorsally. In minor workers: mandibles each with 5 teeth; scapes each exceeding posterior margin of head by 1/3 its length; pronotal dorsum without erect hairs; mesonotal dorsum with a pair of erect hairs; propodeum with about 10 erect hairs.

This is an arboreal species which nests in dead twigs on trees and bamboo internodes. It is known only from the northern part of Okinawa.

Northern part of Okinawa I.