Temnothorax akrotiriensis, 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 : 56-67

Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp. ( Figs 52–59 , 65 )

Etymology. Named after its locus typicus, Akrotiri Peninsula, due to the importance of the Akrotiri Peninsula and Cyprus as a whole as a biodiversity hotspot of ants.

Material examined. Holotype: worker of strongly sculptured morphotype (pin) “ CYPRUS, Akrotiri UK SBA,

0 m | Limassol Salt Lake loc. 2 | 34.60987 / 32.94685 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW). Paratypes (6 workers of strongly sculptured morphotype, pin): 4w, the same data as for holotype ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS, Akrotiri UK SBA, - 1 m | Akrotiri west beach | 34.62095 / 32.92262 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW); 1w “ CYPRUS , Larnaka, 156 m | Skarinou | 34.81835 / 33.35652 | 25 IV 2022, J.D & C.G. [J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis]” ( MNHW) .

Other material examined. 4 workers of softly sculptured morphotype (pin): 1w, the same data as for holotype ( MNHW); Larnaka , Skarinou, 156 m, 34.81835 / 33.35652, 25 IV 2022, 3w, leg. J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis ( MNHW); Akrotiri UK SBA, Agiophyla, 0 m, 34.6006 / 32.9721, 10 X 2023, 5w, leg. J. Demetriou ( JDC) (worker of strongly sculptured morphotype, EtOH) .

Comparative note. Temnothorax akrotiriensis is a member of the T. kemali group characterized by a predominantly yellow body, well-marked head sculpture with a frontal part almost completely covered with microreticulate sculpture and few longitudinal or semicircular rugae, and by sharp, moderately long to very long propodeal spines. Pale forms or pale species of the T. graecus group differ in a larger shiny area in the frontal part of the head or, if the head is almost completely covered with reticulate sculpture, diffused or absent background microreticulation. Temnothorax akrotiriensis has a very narrow band at the end of the first gastral tergite, which occupies at most ¼ of its posterior surface while in species of the T. graecus group, this band usually occupies more than ⅓ or often half of the tergite’s surface. Predominantly yellow T. cypridis and T. aeolius differ in partly brown to black antennal club. Pale yellow T. hippomenesi differs in predominantly smooth and shiny frontal part of the head, very short propodeal spines in the form of a triangular tooth with mean PSLI 0.207 (in T. akrotiriensis 0.282), and wide band at the end of the first gastral tergite which occupies more than ⅓ posterior surface of the tergite. Temnothorax akrotiriensis with T. aeolius are the most lowland species among yellow members of Cypriot Temnothorax with known localities placed in an altitude below 160 m.

Description (see note below). Worker, strongly sculptured form (n = 7): HL: 0.603 –0.697 (0.639); HW: 0.475 – 0.603 (0.533); SL: 0.444 –0.508 (0.474); EL: 0.127 –0.145 (0.135); EW: 0.095 –0.113 (0.102); PNW: 0.320 –0.378 (0.354); WL: 0.670 –0.797 (0.740); PEL: 0.257 –0.310 (0.275); PEH: 0.162 –0.206 (0.188); PPL: 0.137 –0.194 (0.169); PPW: 0.167 –0.214 (0.189); PSL: 0.119 –0.171 (0.145); CI: 1.068 –1.281 (1.203); EI1: 1.171 –1.408 (1.329); EI2: 0.195 –0.242 (0.211); SI1: 0.763 –0.962 (0.895); SI2: 0.714 –0.784 (0.742); MI: 2.017 –2.138 (2.089); PI: 1.325 – 1.586 (1.472); PPI: 0.979 –1.285 (1.124); PSLI: 0.214 –0.318 (0.266).

Color. Whole body yellow, only first gastral tergite in posterior ⅕ length with narrow, reddish-brown band. Antennae and legs uniformly yellow, femora never infuscate in the middle ( Figs 52, 53 , 55, 56 ). Head. From as long as wide to slightly elongate, 1.07–1.28 × as long as wide, sides almost parallel or softly converging behind eyes, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head straight ( Fig. 54 ). 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, 0.21 × 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 very shallow preapical constriction, its base with obtuse dorsal and ventral angle. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 1.9 × as long as wide at apex, 3.0 × 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, 1.2 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 54 ). Surface of scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, sparse, appressed hairs. Mandibles with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny, covered with short appressed hairs. Clypeus with long median keel, without or with one short keel on each side, interspaces smooth and shiny. Frons very narrow, approximately 0.34 × as wide as head width. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, margined with sharp circular striae with more or less microreticulate interspaces. Frontal lobes narrow, placed only slightly upwards ( Fig. 54 ). Gena, malar area and frons laterally with sharp longitudinal rugae, sculpture tends to form reticulation, especially in malar area, postocular area and occipital corners with macroreticulate sculpture, interspaces on almost whole surface of head distinctly microretoculate, frons centrally usually with narrow smooth and shiny stripe, without setose punctation. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae, the longest on occipitum 0.32 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 53 ). Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately 2.1 × 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 granulate sculpture, dorsum with irregular to zigzag rugae and strongly microreticulate interspaces, appears irregular. Sides of pronotum strongly microreticulate with few sharp longitudinal rugae, anteriorly tending to form reticulate sculpture. Dorsum of mesonotum microgranulate, without rugae, on sides predominantly microgranulate with few longitudinal or irregular rugae, surface appears irregular. Dorsum of propodeum strongly microgranulate, anteriorly with few irregular rugae, posteriorly, between propodeal and on posterior face without rugae, sides of propodeum predominantly strongly microgranulate, only close to anterior margin, and ventrally and on metapleural lobe with longitudinal rugae, surface appears irregular ( Figs 53 , 58 ). Propodeal spines moderate to long, PSL/HW 0.21–0.32 (mean 0.27), running obliquely upwards, in form of triangular spine with moderately widened base, straight, sharply acute apically ( Figs 53 , 58 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, yellow, short setae, the longest on pronotum 0.54 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 58 ). Petiole. Elongate, mean PEL/PEH 1.47, anterior face shallowly concave, ventral margin anteriorly with large spine, node in lateral view obtusely angulate with sharp lateral carinae, with few short rugae on top, whole surface microreticulate, sides with few rugae, appears slightly dull. Postpetiole. In dorsal view 1.1 × as long as wide, approximately 1.26 × as wide as petiole, surface microreticulate, without longitudinal striation or rugae, appears irregular but shiny. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with long erect setae, as long as setae on pronotum ( Fig. 58 ). Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae, shorter than setae on mesosoma ( Fig. 56 ). 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.

Worker, finely sculptured form (n = 4): HL: 0.556 –0.667 (0.588); HW: 0.432 –0.548 (0.475); SL: 0.383 –0.460 (0.404); EL: 0.113 –0.151 (0.126); EW: 0.092 –0.108 (0.101); PNW: 0.287 –0.368 (0.319); WL: 0.621 –0.771 (0.675); PEL: 0.222 –0.278 (0.245); PEH: 0.159 –0.203 (0.174); PPL: 0.135 –0.190 (0.166); PPW: 0.173 –0.206 (0.183); PSL: 0.127 –0.167 (0.142); CI: 1.209 –1.287 (1.238); EI1: 1.046 –1.398 (1.251); EI2: 0.197 –0.230 (0.214); SI1: 0.835 – 0.887 (0.850); SI2: 0.679 –0.691 (0.687); MI: 2.048 –2.165 (2.118); PI: 1.369 –1.488 (1.408); PPI: 1.012 –1.296 (1.112); PSLI: 0.276 –0.309 (0.298).

Color. As in typical strongly sculptured form ( Figs 55, 56 ). Head. Slightly more elongated than in the typical form, 1.21–1.29 × as long as wide, with more parallel sides ( Fig. 57 ). Rest of the head characters are similar to the typical form only the sculpture of the head looks different. Antennal fossa deep, margined with interrupted circular striae with microreticulate interspaces ( Fig. 57 ). Gena, malar area and frons laterally with fine longitudinal and reticulate rugae, vertex, postocular area and occipital corners with only microreticulate sculpture, without or with only remnants of rugae and striae, frons centrally usually with slightly broader shiny median stripe. Mesosoma. Less sculptured than in typical form. Dorsum of pronotum and mesonotum with only microreticulate sculpture, without rugae or with remnants of longitudinal striae. Pronotum and mesonotum on sides with predominate microgranulate sculpture, without or with remnants of longitudinal rugae or striae. Propodeal spines relatively long, mean PSL/HW 0.28–0.31 (mean 0.30), in some specimens very long, needle shaped and distinctly curved in profile ( Fig. 59 ). Rest of characters as in typical form.

Note. We observed two morphological forms of this species. The first one is characterized by a strongly sculptured head with numerous longitudinal rugae, the second form has a predominantly microreticulate head with only a few longitudinal rugae. This character is usually correlated with the body size, larger specimens have more rugose heads than smaller specimens. Although we did not observe intermediate specimens we treated both morphotypes as variations of a single species. Both morphotypes were collected in the same localities and sites e.g. in samples from shaking the branches of bush and both forms have similar variability in the length of propodeal spines. Above, we described separate measurements for both forms and noted differences in small, finely sculptured morphotype in separate paragraph. Similar variability within population we observed also in Greek members of this group Temnothorax kemali , where smaller specimens have a relatively slender head and relatively longer propodeal spines.

Biological note. Thermophilous, lowland species. A few workers were shaken off into the entomological umbrella from bushes and herbs growing around the salt lake; one worker was collected on a gravel beach, probably blown away by the wind from the surrounding saline herbs; four specimens were shaken off into the entomological umbrella from herbs in a sowed field next road.

Figures

FIGURE 54. Holotype worker head of Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp., morphotype 1 (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 57. Worker head of Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp., morphotype 2 (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 65. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp.

FIGURES 52, 53. Holotype worker of Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp. (morphotype 1) 52 dorsal 53 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURES 55, 56. Worker of Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp. (morphotype 2) 55 dorsal 56 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).

FIGURES 58, 59. Worker mesosoma and petiole of Temnothorax akrotiriensis n. sp. 58 morphotype with short propodeal spine 59 morphotype with long propodeal spine.