Temnothorax cerastarum, 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 : 36-41

Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. ( Figs 29–34 , 64 )

Etymology. Named after Cerastes (horned ones) [Greek Κεραστές], a group of men native to Cyprus, who Aphrodite transformed into a tribe of bull-horned centaurs, as punishment for murdering foreign visitors to the island (probably pilgrims visiting the goddess' famous shrine). They were born of Gaia, the Earth, when Zeus accidentally impregnated her during a failed attempt to couple with the goddess Aphrodite. We gave this name from the propodeum's protruding spines (resembling horns).

Material examined. Holotype: worker (pin) “ CYPRUS, Paphos, 1138 m | Cedar Valley loc. 2 | 34.99092 / 32.68846 | 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW) . Paratypes (1 gyne, 41 workers, pin): the same data as for holotype ( MNHW, JDC, ZMUA) .

Other material examined. 15 workers (EtOH): the same data as for the holotype .

Comparative note. Temnothorax cerastarum is a member of the T. graecus group. It has uniformly yellow antennae and in this character is similar to T. evagorae and T. oreades , while the fourth species of this group, T. aeolius , well differs in partly brown to black antennal club. Temnothorax cerastarum differs from T. oreades and T. evagorae in the less sculptured head with a great part of frontal and occipital area smooth and shiny, longer, needle-shaped propodeal spines with mean PSLI 0.297, and longer antennal scapus with mean SI1 0.933 and SI2 0.785. The last yellow Cypriot species, T. akrotiriensis differs from the pale form of T. cerastarum in a more sculptured head with a distinctly microreticulate background between the prominent sculpture and thus dull frontal part of the head while in T. cerastarum this background sculpture is diffused or absent thus frontal part of the head is distinctly shiny. Temnothorax akrotiriensis has a very narrow dark band at the end of the first gastral tergite, which occupies at most its ¼ posterior surface, while in T. cerastarum this band usually occupies more than half the surface of the tergite. Temnothorax cerastarum was collected in a mountain pine forest at an altitude of 1138 m while T. akrotiriensis was collected only in lowland open habitats from the sea coast to an altitude of 156 m.

Description. Worker (n = 10): HL: 0.527 –0.686 (0.635); HW: 0.437 –0.587 (0.581); SL: 0.421 –0.552 (0.498); EL: 0.111 –0.158 (0.143); EW: 0.087 –0.124 (0.111); PNW: 0.294 –0.398 (0.370); WL: 0.603 –0.825 (0.754); PEL: 0.190 –0.302 (0.258); PEH: 0.143 –0.222 (0.207); PPL: 0.144 –0.198 (0.185); PPW: 0.167 –0.237 (0.218); PSL: 0.127 –0.192 (0.168); CI: 1.149 –1.231 (1.190); EI1: 1.269 –1.377 (1.293); EI2: 0.211 –0.243 (0.225); SI1: 0.766 – 0.963 (0.933); SI2: 0.766 –0.804 (0.785); MI: 1.955 –2.094 (2.037); PI: 1.072 –1.379 (1.253); PPI: 1.083 –1.267 (1.183); PSLI: 0.224 –0.329 (0.297).

Color. Almost whole body yellow, only first gastral tergite with ⅔ of space yellowish-brown band except yellow basal spot and posterior margin.Antennae and legs uniformly yellow, femora never infuscate in the middle ( Figs 29, 30 ). Head. Slightly elongate, 1.14–1.23 × as long as wide, sides almost parallel or softly converging behind eyes, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head straight ( Fig. 31 ). Anterior margin of clypeus softly convex, without central angulation, with 4–6 short setae, medial notch absent. Eyes moderate, short oval, 1.3–1.4 × as long as wide, 0.23 × as long as head length. Antennal scape long, in lateral view slightly curved, approximately 0.9 × as long as width of the head, in apex gradually widened with well-marked preapical constriction, its base with angulate dorsal and ventral angle. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 2.7 × as long as wide at apex, 2.6–2.7 × longer than second segment, segments 2–6 transverse, segment 7 only slightly wider than long, club large, 1.2 × as long as segments 1–8 combined, last segment of club elongate, 1.4 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 31 ). Surface of scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderate dense, appressed hairs. Mandibles with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny, covered with short appressed hairs. Clypeus with median keel and two keels on each side, interspaces diffusely microreticulate, shiny. Frons narrow, approximately 0.42 × 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. 31 ). Gena, malar area and frons laterally with sharp longitudinal rugae, postocular area and occipital corners with fine striation, central part of frons, vertex and occipitum smooth and shiny, frons centrally without or with extremely small setose punctation. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae, the longest on occipitum 0.46 × as long as eye width ( Fig. 30 ). Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately twice as long as wide, slightly arched in anterior third, flat in posterior ⅔ length, without metanotal groove or impression. Pronotum convex on sides. Anterior slope of pronotum with transverse rugae, dorsum with fine longitudinal rugae and microreticulate interspaces, shiny. Sides of pronotum with sharp longitudinal rugae and diffusely microreticulate interspaces. Dorsum of mesonotum microreticulate, on sides or on whole surface with few fine longitudinal rugae, sides of mesonotum predominantly microgranulate but in upper ⅓ of space with more or less marked striation or rugae, occasionally also lower space with rudiments of rugae. Dorsum of propodeum centrally microreticulate, on sides with longitudinal rugae, posterior face microreticulate without or with few transverse rugae, sides of propodeum predominantly with sharp longitudinal rugae, especially on metapleural lobe, surface appears irregular but shiny. Propodeal spines long, mean PSL/HW 0.3, running strongly upwards, in form of elongate spines with slightly widened base, straight or with only slightly curved apex, sharply acute apically ( Fig. 30 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, yellow, moderately long setae, the longest on pronotum 0.6 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 30 ). Petiole. Moderately elongate, mean PEL/PEH 1.25, anterior face straight or very shallowly concave, ventral margin anteriorly with sharp spine, node in lateral view obtusely angulate with sharp lateral carinae, with few short rugae on top, whole surface microreticulate, shiny. Postpetiole. In dorsal view almost as long as wide, approximately 1.3 × as wide as petiole, surface microreticulate with longitudinal striation, appears irregular but shiny. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with long erect setae, as long as setae on pronotum ( Fig. 30 ).

Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae, twice shorter than setae on mesosoma ( Fig. 29 ). Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to ¾ length, surface of legs covered with extremely sparse, appressed hairs, appears smooth and shiny.

Gyne (n = 1): HL: 0.732; HW: 0.683; SL: 0.540; EL: 0.214; EW: 0.175; PNW: 0.849; WL: 1.373; PEL: 0.397; PEH: 0.273; PPL: 0.278; PPW: 0.317; PSL: 0.246; CI: 1.072; EI1: 1.223; EI2: 0.292; SI1: 0.791; SI2: 0.738; MI: 1.617; PI: 1.454; PPI: 1.140; PSLI: 0.360.

Color. Head predominantly yellowish-brown, with yellow postocular area and ventral surface, mesosoma predominantly yellow, only scutellum brown centrally and yellowish-brown laterally, petiole and postpetiole yellow, gaster predominantly brown, first tergite with large, yellow basal spot, second tergite with yellow basal and posterior margins. Antennae uniformly yellow, legs yellow with infuscate femora ( Figs 32, 33 ). Head. Broad, approximately 1.1 × as long as wide, widest behind eyes, gena parallel, behind eyes softly convergent, occipital corners rounded, occipital margin slightly convex ( Fig. 34 ). Anterior margin of clypeus softly convex, without central angulation with minute median notch, with 2 long and 4 short setae. Eyes large, short oval, 1.2 × as long as wide, 0.23 × 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 only slightly widened with very shallow preapical constriction, its basal corners obtusely angulate. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 2.3 × as long as wide at apex, 2.3 × longer than second segment, segments 2–6 transverse, segment 7 only slightly wider than long, club large, almost as long as segments 1–8 combined, last segment of club elongate, 1.3 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 34 ). Surface of scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderate dense, basally appressed apically subdecumbent hairs. Mandibles with thick, sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny, covered with short to moderate subdecumbent to decumbent hairs. Clypeus with median keel and two keels on each side, interspaces smooth, shiny. Frons narrow, approximately 0.35 × as wide as head width. Frontal carinae short, extending to ⅓ length of eyes. Antennal fossa deep, margined with sharp circular striae with smooth interspaces. Frontal lobes very narrow, placed only slightly upwards ( Fig. 34 ). Whole surface of head with sharp longitudinal rugae extending to occipital margin, interspaces smooth or with diffused microreticulation, shiny, frons centrally without punctation. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, only sides with short decumbent hairs, frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae, the longest on occipitum 0.4 × as long as eye width. Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately 1.6 × as long as wide. Pronotum not visible from above, scutum and scutellum flat dorsally. Anterior slope of pronotum with granulate sculpture, sides with longitudinal rugae and diffusely microreticulate interspaces, appears shiny. Dorsum of scutum with longitudinal striation, slightly diffused on anterior slope and lateral lobes, interspaces smooth to diffusely microreticulate, shiny. Dorsum of scutellum predominantly smooth and shiny, only sides and close to basal margin with diffused striation ( Fig. 32 ). Anepisternum anteriorly and dorsally with longitudinal striation, ventrally and posteriorly predominantly smooth, shiny, katepisternum predominantly smooth and shiny only close to posterior margin with short longitudinal rugae. Dorsum of propodeum with oblique and longitudinal rugae, between spines and posteriorly with diffused irregular rugae, shiny, sides of propodeum with sharp longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth or diffusely microreticulate, shiny. Propodeal spines moderately long, mean PSL/HW 0.36, in form of triangulate spines with broadly widened base, sharply acute apically ( Fig. 33 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, yellow, moderately long setae, the longest 0.4 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 33 ). Petiole. Elongate, mean PEL/PEH 1.45, anterior face straight, ventral margin anteriorly with small, sharp spine, node in lateral view sharply angulate, anterior slope smooth to diffusely microreticulate, sides with longitudinal rugae, ventral part with microreticulation but surface appears shiny. Postpetiole. Transverse, approximately 1.3 × as wide as petiole, surface microreticulate with longitudinal striation, appears shiny. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with erect setae, slightly longer than setae on pronotum ( Fig. 33 ). Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae, ⅓ shorter than setae on mesosoma ( Figs 32 ). Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to ¾ length, surface of legs covered with extremely sparse, appressed hairs, appears smooth and shiny.

Biological note. A single nest was observed under a moderately large stone inside a mixed pine and cedar forest, in mountains at an altitude of 1138 m.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Holotype worker head of Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 34. Gyne head of Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 64. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. (upper map) and T. evagorae n. sp. + T. oreades n. sp. (bottom map)

FIGURES 29, 30. Holotype worker of Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. 29 dorsal 30 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURES 32, 33. Gyne of Temnothorax cerastarum n. sp. 32 dorsal 33 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).