Temnothorax apolloni, Salata & Demetriou & Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2024

Salata, Sebastian, Demetriou, Jakovos, Georgiadis, Christos & Borowiec, Lech, 2024, The genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cyprus, Zootaxa 5434 (1), pp. 1-69 : 15-18

Temnothorax apolloni n. sp. ( Figs 8–12 , 61 )

Etymology. Named after Apollo (ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων), the mythological god of oracles, healing, archery, music and arts, sunlight, knowledge, herds and flocks, and protection of the young. The locus typicus for this species is located right next to the archaeological site named Apollo Temple, about 2.5 kilometers west of the ancient town of Kourion along the road that leads to Paphos.

Material examined. Holotype: worker (pin) “ CYPRUS, Limassol, 129 m |Apollo Temple a. Kourion | 34.67399 / 32.86412 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW). Paratypes (109 workers pin): 13w, the same data as for holotype; 9w “ CYPRUS, Limassol Prov. | Apollo Temple a. Kourion | 34.67404 / 32.8638, 131 m | 20 IV 2022, S. Salata” ( MNHW); 9w “ CYPRUS, Paphos, Diarizos | riv., Extr. View Café, 251 | m 34.78952 / 32.6939 | 19 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 6w “ CYPRUS, Akrotiri UK SBA, 0 m | Limassol Salt Lake loc. 2 | 34.60987 / 32.94685 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 4w “ CYPRUS, Paphos, 31 m | Ranti Forest | 34.67337 / 32.60695 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS, Nicosia, 680 m | Kapedes | 34.9669 / 33.2404 | 24 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 6w “ CYPRUS, Paphos, 368 m | rd. F612 loc. 1 | 34.73358 / 32.64293 | 28 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 7w “ CYPRUS, Paphos, 397 m | rd. F612 loc. 2 | 34.74329 / 32.67197 | 28 IV 2022, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 5w “ CYPRUS, Larnaka, 47 m | Dipotamos dam | 34.91442 / 33.19712 | 23 IV 2022, J.D & C.G. [J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis]” ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS, Ammochostos (Famagusta), 51m | Cavo Greco | 34.96647 / 34.06698 | 25 IV 2022, J.D. & C.G. [J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis]” ( MNHW); 2w “ CYPRUS, Paphos Prov., | Peyia Forest loc. 3, 390 m | 34.89366 / 32.3739 | 18.04.2022, S. Salata” ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS, Paphos Prov., | Peyia Forest loc. 3, 390 m | 34.889366 / 32.37390 18– | 04.2022, S. Salata, CY010” ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 363 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34°53.853 N / 32°22.046 E | 4 V 2012, L. Borowiec” ( MNHW); 12w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 363 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34°53.853 N / 32°22.046 E | 4 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00155” ( MNHW); 12w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 374 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34°53.751 N / 32°22.224 E | 7 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC– CY00154” ( MNHW); 12w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 374 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34.88333 N / 32.36666 E | 7 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00156” ( MNHW); 5w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 363 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34.88333 N / 32.3666 E | 4 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00157” ( MNHW); 3w “ CYPRUS, Paphos Prov. | Aphrodite’s Rock, Kouklia | 5 m, 34.66417 N / 32.6269 E | 4 II 2017, S. Salata || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00193” ( MNHW).

Comparative note. Temnothorax apolloni and T. kykkos are the only Cypriot members of the T. angustulus group characterized by partly or predominantly brown color, shallowly impressed metanotal groove, petiole with straight anterior face and strong sculpture of mesosoma with reticulate and longitudinal rugae. Both species are strongly thermophilous, nesting in the hollow stems, under the bark, or sometimes in dried fruit that has fallen to the ground. Temnothorax apolloni differs from T. kykkos by its distinctly bicolored body with head and gaster predominantly brown and mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole yellowish-brown. Temnothorax apolloni has slightly longer petiole with mean PI 1.415 with a petiolar node in profile obtusely angulate. Body sculpture in T. apolloni is stronger and sharper than in T. kykkos , with reticulate and longitudinal rugae on almost the whole head surface except smooth, narrow median area. Geographically closest member of the T. angustulus group outside of Cyprus, T. dessyi (Menozzi, 1936) (known from Greece and Western Türkiye) differs in the almost uniformly brown body, shorter petiole with triangular and angulate node, and extremely short erect setae on anterior half of the first gastral tergite with mean length 0.035 (in T. apolloni 0.045). The species of the T. angustulus group distributed in the western part of the Mediterranean Basin and recently reviewed by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) differ in shorter, triangular, and sharply angulate petiolar node. Temnothorax apolloni has the least angulate petiolar node in the whole T. angustulus group.

Description. Worker (n = 10): HL: 0.637 –0.746 (0.680); HW: 0.524 –0.627 (0.567); SL: 0.429 –0.521 (0.465); EL: 0.135 –0.187 (0.161); EW: 0.095 –0.144 (0.115); PNW: 0.363 –0.444 (0.398); WL: 0.738 –0.897 (0.807); PEL: 0.254 –0.333 (0.293); PEH: 0.183 –0.238 (0.207); PPL: 0.183 –0.214 (0.200); PPW: 0.186 –0.239 (0.217); PSL: 0.127 –0.195 (0.156); CI: 1.164 –1.227 (1.200); EI1: 1.299 –1.758 (1.412); EI2: 0.210 –0.262 (0.237); SI1: 0.802 – 0.864 (0.820); SI2: 0.659 –0.711 (0.683); MI: 1.966 –2.076 (2.031); PI: 1.337 –1.500 (1.415); PPI: 1.000 –1.163 (1.084); PSLI: 0.239 –0.311 (0.274).

Color. In typical specimens head brown, slightly paler colored in postocular area, darker in frontal area, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole rusty yellow, gaster dark brown except yellow posterior margins of tergites and small paler brown area at base of postpetiole. Antennal scapus brown, funicle yellow, club often slightly darker yellow than basal funicle segments. Coxa brown, trochanters yellow, femora predominantly brown to dark brown except yellow base and knee, tibiae and tarsi yellow ( Figs 8, 9 ). In the palest specimens head predominantly ochraceous with obscure spot on frons, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole yellow, gaster predominantly pale brown with yellowish-brown base of first gastral tergite, coxa, femora and antennal scapus pale brown ( Fig. 11 ). In the darkest specimens mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole reddish-brown ( Fig. 10 ). Head. Slightly elongate, approximately 1.2 × as long as wide, sides almost parallel or gena softly converging anterad and sides behind eyes softly converging posterad, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head straight ( Fig. 12 ). Anterior margin of clypeus softly convex, without central angulation but usually with very shallow emargination, with 6–8 short setae. Eyes moderate, short oval, 1.4 × as long as wide, 0.24 × as long as head length. Antennal scape moderately long, in lateral view slightly curved, approximately 0.8 × as long as width of the head, in apex gradually widened with shallowly marked preapical constriction, its base with obtuse dorsal and ventral angle. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 2.3 × as long as wide at apex, 3.2 × longer than second segment, segments 2–6 transverse, segment 7 only slightly wider than long, club large, the last segment of club elongate, 1.2 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 12 ). Surface of scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderate dense, predominantly appressed hairs. Mandibles with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny, covered with short to moderately long appressed to decumbent hairs. Clypeus with median keel and two keels on each side, interspaces smooth and shiny. Frons narrow, approximately 0.37 × as wide as head width. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, margined with sharp circular striae with smooth interspaces. Frontal lobes narrow, placed only slightly upwards ( Fig. 12 ). Gena, malar area and frons laterally with sharp reticulate sculpture and longitudinal rugae, postocular area and occipital corners with vanished fine striation and reticulation, central part of frons, vertex and occipitum with narrow, smooth and shiny stripe or with vanishing sculpture, frons centrally without or with extremely small setose punctation. In the darkest specimens sculpture more evident than in the palest specimens. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae, the longest on occipitum 0.35 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 12 ). Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately twice as long as wide, dorsal promesonotum slightly arched, dorsal propodeum flat to indistinctly arched, usually with shallow but well-marked metanotal impression ( Figs 9–11 ). Pronotum convex on sides. Anterior slope of pronotum with granulate sculpture, sometimes with short transverse rugae, dorsum with sharp longitudinal rugae and microreticulate interspaces but appears slightly shiny ( Fig. 8 ). Sides of pronotum with sharp longitudinal rugae and microreticulate interspaces. Dorsum of mesonotum microreticulate with longitudinal rugae, on sides predominantly microgranulate with sharp longitudinal rugae. Dorsum of propodeum microreticulate, with longitudinal rugae, posterior face microreticulate with transverse rugae, sides of propodeum predominantly with sharp longitudinal rugae, especially on metapleural lobe and microreticulate interspaces, surface appears irregular but shiny. Longitudinal rugae are generally sharper and higher in darker specimens ( Figs 9–11 ). Propodeal spines moderately long, mean PSL/HW in most specimens 0.27, running strongly upwards, in form of needle with slightly widened base, straight, sharply acute apically ( Figs 9 , 11 ), sometimes, especially in the darkest specimens propodeal spines very long with PSL/HW up to 0.31 in form of very narrow needle slightly curved in lateral view ( Fig. 10 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, white, short setae, the longest on pronotum 0.5 × as long as eye diameter ( Figs 9–11 ). Petiole. Elongate, mean PEL/PEH 1.42, anterior face straight or very shallowly concave, ventral margin anteriorly with sharp spine, node in lateral view obtuse to obtusely angulate with sharp lateral carinae, with few short rugae on top, sides distinctly microreticulate with longitudinal rugae, surface appears irregular and slightly dull. Postpetiole. In dorsal view almost as long as wide, approximately 1.2 × as wide as petiole, surface microreticulate, top without sides with more or less visible striation, appears slightly dull. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with long erect setae, slightly longer and thicker than setae on pronotum ( Figs 9–11 ). Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, short pale setae, ⅔ as long as setae on mesosoma ( Figs 9–11 ). Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to ¾ length, surface of legs smooth and shiny covered with extremely sparse, appressed hairs.

Biological note. Thermophilous species. Most specimens were shaken off into the entomological umbrella from bushes located on the sunny outskirts of pine forests, sunny meadows, along roadsides, on sunny hills, or the outskirts of salt lakes. The preferred shrub was Pistacia ; a few specimens have been found inside old galls on Pistacia branches. Nests could not be found, probably as in the Greek representatives of the Temnothorax angustulus group, they can nest inside the dry stems and branches of shrubs and large herbs.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Holotype worker head of Temnothorax apolloni n. sp. (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 61. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax apolloni n. sp. (upper map) and T. kykkos n. sp. (bottom map)

FIGURES 8, 9. Holotype worker of Temnothorax apolloni n. sp. 8 dorsal 9 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURES 10, 11. Workers of Temnothorax apolloni n. sp., lateral 10 the darkest form from Extreme View Cafe 11 the palest form from rd. F612 loc. 2 (scale bar = 1 mm).