Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi, 1934)

Salata, Sebastian & Borowiec, Lech, 2019, Preliminary division of not socially parasitic Greek Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with a description of three new species, ZooKeys 877, pp. 81-131 : 81

Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi, 1934) Figs 7 , 8 , 11 , 15

Leptothorax turcicus Santschi, 1934: 278.

Type material.

Syntype, worker (pin): • [TURKEY]: Izmir | 29.VII.33, Santschi || Type || Sammlung | Dr. F. Santschi | Kairouan | ANTWEB | CASENT0913009 (NHMB).

Other material.

Greece. North Aegean, Lesbos: • 2w. (pin) (CASENT0846851-CASENT0846852): n. Ahladeri, 39.15958N / 26.29292E, 9 m, 2015-06-10, leg. L. Borowiec. Macedonia, Chalkidiki: • 12w. (pin) (CASENT0846853-CASENT0846864): Holomontas, Taxiarhis vicinity, mountain deciduous forest, in leaf litter, 40.4N / 23.51666E, 594 m, 2009-08-30, leg. L. Borowiec; • 2w. (pin) (CASENT0846865-CASENT0846866): Holomontas, Stagira, on wall in deciduous forest, 40.52896N / 23.74872E, 539 m, 2009-09-03, leg. L. Borowiec; • 5w. (pin) (CASENT0846867-CASENT0846871): Holomontas, Stagira-Neochori road, on wall in deciduous forest, 40.51666N / 23.7E, 512 m, 2009-09-03, leg. L. Borowiec. Macedonia, Kavalas: • 1w. (pin) (CASENT0846872): Nestos river near Komnina , 41.169N / 24.6966E, 100 m, 1999-10-10, leg. E. Nikolakakis. Macedonia, Pieria: • 5w. (pin) (CASENT0846873-CASENT0846877), 2w. (EtOH): road to P. Poroi loc. 1, roadsides with shrubs, 39.97963N / 22.61563E, 110 m, 2019-05-17, leg. L. Borowiec; • 6w. (EtOH): road to P. Poroi loc. 2, roadsides with shrubs, 39. 97627N / 22.61146E, 185 m, 2019-05-17, leg. L. Borowiec; •14w. (pin) (CASENT0846878-CASENT0846891), 40w. (EtOH): road to P. Poroi loc. 3, roadsides with shrubs, 39.96863N / 22.60494E, 260 m, 2019-05-17, leg. L. Borowiec. Peloponnese, Arcadia: • 1w. (pin) (CASENT0846892): 3.2 km NW Polidroso, 1000 m, 37.19874N /2257603E, 1000, 2016-06-18, leg. L. Borowiec. Peloponnese, Laconia: • 6w. (pin) (CASENT0846893-CASENT0846898): Parnon Mts., 5 km NE of Karies, 37.324N / 22.538E, 1000 m, 2000-04-29, leg. A. Schulz & K. Vock (3w DBET, 3w PW). Sterea Ellas, Euboea: • 1w. (pin) (CASENT0846899): 1 km NE of Amfithea, 38.5519N /23.79546, 200 m, 2018-06-10, leg. L. Borowiec. Thessaly, Larissa: • 1w. (pin) (CASENT0846900): Kato Olimbos Mts, 6.1 km S of Kalipefki, 39.91322N / 22.4641E, 855 m, 2017-05-09, leg. L. Borowiec.

Terra typica.

Greece, Thessaly, Mt. Ossa.

Differential diagnosis.

Differentiation from T. kemali , T. brackoi and T. messiniaensis - see differential diagnosis in T. messiniaensis . Temnothorax turcicus differs from specimens of T. aveli with long propodeal spines in thin dark band on first gastral tergite, head not darker from mesosoma, mesosoma less convex in profile and propodeal spines directed slightly more upwards; from T. lagrecai (Baroni Urbani, 1964), species described and known only from Sicily, differs in petiolar node dorsum flat or slightly convex and distinctly bigger mesosoma size - ML 0.595 ± 0.50 (0.517-0.680) vs. ML = 0.779 ± 0.05 (0.677-0.832).

Redescription.

Worker (n = 10): HL: 0.670 ± 0.03 (0.614-0.696); HW: 0.573 ± 0.03 (0.522-0.596); SL: 0.465 ± 0.02 (0.431-0.484); EL: 0.158 ± 0.009 (0.149-0.174); EW: 0.118 ± 0.01 (0.102-0.137); WL: 0.779 ± 0.05 (0.677-0.832); PSL: 0.192 ± 0.005 (0.186-0.199); SDL: 0.118 ± 0.007 (0.106-0.124); PEL: 0.271 ± 0.015 (0.248-0.286); PPL: 0.173 ± 0.01 (0.149-0.186); PEH: 0.206 ± 0.015 (0.186-0.230); PPH: 0.205 ± 0.02 (0.174-0.236); PNW: 0.394 ± 0.02 (0.360-0.422); PLW: 0.169 ± 0.007 (0.161-0.180); PPW: 0.219 ± 0.01 (0.199-0.230); CI: 85.6 ± 1.2 (83.6-86.8); SI1: 69.4 ± 0.6 (68.5-70.2); SI2: 81.1 ± 1.3 (79.2-82.7); MI: 50.7 ± 1.3 (49.3-53.2); EI1: 75.3 ± 8.8 (66.1-91.7); EI2: 17.7 ± 1.3 (16.4-20.0); PI: 132.3 ± 9.2 (120.0-148.4); PPI: 84.8 ± 4.5 (75.8-88.9); PSI: 162.7 ± 7.5 (155.0-176.5).

Colour.

Whole body uniformly yellow to dark yellow, sometimes club in darker yellow colouration. Gaster yellow, only the first gaster tergite with very thin, dark band on its posterior part ( Figs 7 , 8 ). Head. Oval, 1.16 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes gently convex, posterior edges convex, occipital margin of head straight or slightly convex ( Fig. 15 ). Anterior margin of clypeus slightly convex, medial notch absent. Eyes moderate, oval, 1.34 times as long as wide. Antennal scape short, in lateral view slightly curved, 0.69 times as long as length of the head, in apex gradually widened, its base with small, triangular tooth, funiculus long, club 3 segmented ( Figs 12 , 15 ). Surface of scape with very fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderate dense, decumbent setae. Mandibles rounded with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny. Clypeus shiny with thick, sparse, longitudinal striae, area between striae smooth and shiny. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, with irregular, dense to sparse, thick rugosity and sometimes with a few thin, roundly curved striae, surface between thick sculpture smooth or with sparse microreticulation. Frontal lobes narrow, smooth with slight, dense longitudinal striation ( Fig. 15 ). Frons, vertex and temples with dense, thick, longitudinal reticulation, central surface of frons and vertex with longitudinal reticulation sparser or reduced, with additional thin, longitudinal striation, striae sometimes interrupted, surface between striation smooth and shiny; malar area with irregular, thick, reticulation, space between reticulation smooth or with very sparse microreticulation, shiny; genae with sparser, than on frons, and thick reticulation, shiny ( Fig. 15 ). Frons and vertex with erect, pale, short and thick setae. Mesosoma. Elongate, 1.98 times as long as wide, slightly arched in profile. Metanotal groove absent. Pronotum convex on sides. Propodeal spines long, directed upward, with base slightly to moderate wider than apex, tips sharp ( Fig. 8 ). Whole surface with dense, reticulation, sometimes its dorsal surface and lateral surfaces of pronotum and mesonotum with additional thick, sparse longitudinal wrinkles. Area between thick sculpture shiny, smooth or sometimes with sparse, fine microreticulation ( Fig. 8 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, pale, short and thick setae ( Fig. 8 ). Petiole. In lateral view, with short peduncle, node moderate high, with anterior face straight, and posterior face convex and dorsum flat or slightly convex. Peduncle and petiolar node shiny, with thick, dense reticulation, area between rugae smooth, dorsum with sparser reticulation. Dorsal surface bearing sparse, short, erect setae ( Fig. 8 ). Postpetiole. In lateral view, regularly convex, apical half with gently convex sides ( Fig. 8 ), on the whole surface shiny, with thick, dense reticulation, dorsum with sparser reticulation; area between rugae smooth. Dorsal surface bearing sparse, short, erect setae. Gaster. Gaster smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae ( Figs 7 , 8 ).

General distribution.

Eastern Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece: Macedonia, North Aegean Islands, Sterea Ellas, Peloponnese, and Thessaly, Hungary, Slovakia, western Turkey.

Comment.

We examined a syntype of Temnothorax tauricus (Ruzsky, 1902) preserved in Forel’s collection (MHNG) and it appears to be very similar to specimens of T. turcicus collected in Greece. The only difference is a slightly darkened antennal club in the syntype specimen of T. tauricus (all studied specimens of T. turcicus have antennae uniformly yellow). We discussed this issue with Alex Radchenko (Kiev, Ukraine) who confirmed that all 17 syntypes of T. tauricus preserved in Karavaiev’s collection (Kiev, Ukraine) also have slightly darkened antennal club. In our opinion this difference could be an infraspecific variation. Within nest samples of Temnothorax messiniaensis , a member of the aveli species group, we observed single specimens with more or less darkened antennal club. Temnothorax tauricus was recorded from Caucasus and southern Ukraine but is sympatric with T. turcicus in Bulgaria and Greece. Temnothorax tauricus have nests in dry stems of herbs, grasses or rarely in soil under stones ( Radchenko 2016) and by those preferences reminds species of the T. aveli species group. Clarification of taxonomic relation between those two taxa requires further study based on material collected from the whole distribution range of both species. If our supposition on the conspecifity of both taxa is confirmed, then the name T. tauricus will have priority over the name T. turcicus .

Biology.

Specimens collected on shadow localities, from seacoast to 1000 m a.s.l. Foraging workers were observed on herbs in stream valley of tourist resort, valleys with Platanus trees, mountain coniferous forest and mountain pastures close to border of coniferous forest. Nests were not found, probably like other species of this group, are located inside dry stems of herbs.

The following ant species were recorded in the same areas as T. turcicus :

For localities on Macedonia: Pieria, road to P. Poroi loc. 1, Pieria, road to P. Poroi loc. 2, Pieria, road to P. Poroi loc. 2, and Thessaly, Larissa, Mt. Ossa, Kokkino Nero: see Temnothorax brackoi .

North Aegean, Lesbos, near Ahladeri: Camponotus dalmaticus (Nylander), C. lateralis (Olivier), C. sanctus , Crematogaster ionia Forel, Lasius neglectus Van Loon, Boomsma & Andrasfalvy, Monomorium monomorium Bolton, Pheidole pallidula (Nylander), Plagiolepis perperamus Salata et al., Temnothorax bulgaricus (Forel), T. cf. luteus , Tetramorium rhodium Emery.

Peloponnese, Arcadia, 3.2 km NW Polidroso: Aphaenogaster cf. subterranea , Camponotus aethiops (Latreille), C. dalmaticus (Nylander), C. nitidescens Forel, C. vagus (Scopoli), Cataglyphis nodus ( Brullé), Crematogaster ionia Forel, Formica cunicularia Latreille, F. fusca Linnaeus, Lasius bomycina Seifert & Galkowski, L. flavus (Fabricius), L. illyricus Zimmermann, Pheidole cf. pallidula , Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille), Temnothorax crasecundus Seifert & Csősz, T. helenae Csősz et al., T. laconicus Csősz et al., T. cf. unifasciatus , Tetramorium cf. caespitum .

Sterea Ellas, Euboea, 1 km NE of Amfithea: Camponotus lateralis (Olivier), Cataglyphis nodus ( Brullé), Crematogaster schmidti (Mayr), Pheidole cf. pallidula , Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille), Temnothorax bulgaricus (Forel), T. recedens (Nylander).

Thessaly, Larissa, Kato Olimbos Mts, 6.1 km S of Kalipefki: Aphaenogaster epirotes (Emery), Bothriomyrmex communista Santschi, Camponotus aethiops (Latreille), C. oertzeni Forel, C. piceus (Leach), Formica cunicularia Latreille, Lasius alienus Förster, Messor mcarthuri Steiner et al., M. wasmanni Krausse, Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille), Temnothorax cf. unifasciatus , Tetramorium cf. caespitum .

Figures

Figures 7, 8. Worker of Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi) 7 Dorsal 8 Lateral.

Figures 9 - 12. Head and antennae 9 Worker of Temnothorax brackoi sp. nov. 10 Worker of Temnothorax messiniaensis sp. nov. 11 Worker of Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi) 12 Gyne of Temnothorax messiniaensis sp. nov.

Figures 13 - 15. Head sculpture 13 Worker of Temnothorax brackoi sp. nov. 14 Worker of Temnothorax messiniaensis sp. nov. 15 Worker of Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi).