Ponera coarctata (LATREILLE, 1802)

Csősz, S. & Seifert, B., 2003, Ponera Testacea Emery, 1895 Stat. N. - A Sister Species Of P. Coarctata (Latreille, 1802) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 49 (3), pp. 201-214 : 204-207

Ponera coarctata (LATREILLE, 1802)

( Figs 5, 7, 9, 11 )

Formica coarctata LATREILLE, 1802a

Formica contracta LATREILLE, 1802b [unnecessary replacement name for coarctata LATREILLE 1802a ]

Ponera coarctata (LATREILLE, 1802) , see LATREILLE (1804)

Material studied: Altogether 116 nest samples with 182 workers and 51 gynes were investigated. The localities are givenbelow inalphabetic order.

Austria – Albern, Donauauen ( Linz 20 km ESE), leg. Scheerpeltz ; Bad Vöslau , leg. Mücke 1937.07.30; Bisamberg (E of Wien), leg. Scheepeltz 1940.05.01; Dornbach , leg. G. Mayr 1862; Kirchberg a. Wechsel , leg. Ganglbauer 1901; Gamino am Kienberg , leg. Rausch 1971.10.09; Granatneusiedl , leg. Schödl 1995.08.13; Hohe Wand , 1947.07.22; Hohe Wand, Stollhof , leg. Schödl 1998.09.10; Krems vic.: Paudorf 0.5 km N, leg. Seifert 1994.05.12.; Loich, Steinfeldberg (28 km SW St. Pölten), leg. Faber 1965.06.05; Mandling , leg. Franz ; Purgstall / Niederösterreich, Steinfeldberg , leg. Hüttinger 1971.10.10; Mödling , Kl. Anninger, leg. Schödl 1998.09.10; Purgstall , railway station, leg. Ressl 1972.07.02; Schauboden , leg. Ressl 1972.09.27; Wien, City , leg. Christian 2001.07; Wien vicinity, leg. Mader ; Zöbing, Kamptal , leg. Lacroix ; Croatia – Buccari, 1890.04.02. leg. Bíró; Fiume , 1885.03.31. (No. 718/272). Germany – Ascherslebenvic. : Nachterstedt 2 km N, leg. Seifert 1988.06.16; Aschersleben vic.: Gatersleben , leg. Seifert 1988.06.16; Augsburg vic.: Kinsau / Lech , leg. U. Heckes 1989.07.01; Benzingerode 1.6 km WNW, leg. Seifert 2002.05.14; Diemerbachtal (Umg. v. Junkersmühle, Bader Weg), 1942.04.14. leg. Schmaus; Dillenburg, Burg , leg. H. Wolf 1956.08.27; Dillenburg , leg. H. Wolf 1946.08.10; Eisleben vic.: Wormsleben , leg. Seifert 1983.05.28; Gerolstein vic.: Schönecken 1.5 km NE, leg. Seifert 1991.09.06; Gotha vic.: Wanderslebener Gleiche , leg. Seifert 1984.09.03; Görlitz vic.: Thiemendorf 0.5 km N, leg. Seifert 1989. 06.11; Heimburg 1.3 km WNW (near Wernigerode ), leg. Seifert 2002.05.14; Herborn-Schloss – 2 km SSE, Galgenkopf , 232 m, leg. H.Wolf 1949.06.09; Jena vic.: NSG Leutratal bei Jena , Arrhenateretum, coll. Dunger 1974; Jena vic.: NSG Leutratal bei Jena , Mesobrometum, coll. Dunger 1974; Jena vic.: Reinstädt – 1 km NW, leg. Seifert 1993.07.20; Jena vic.: Wittersroda – 1 km W, leg. Seifert 1993.07.20; Kaiserstuhl: Oberbergen 2 km N, leg. Lamparsky 1990.08, 1991.04; Kaiserstuhl: Oberbergen 2 km N, leg. Seifert 1993.05.01; Kirn / Nahe , Rheinland, 1934.04.15. leg. Schoop; leg. Dauber 1994.07; Kuppenheim near Rastatt , leg. Sonnenburg 1995; Löbau vic.: Löbauer Berg, Eisenturm 0.2 km S, leg. Seifert 1983.07.13, 1983.08, 1987.07.09, 2002.05.07; Mainz, Oberstadt, Römersteine ; Marburg / Lahn , Lollar , leg. H.Wolf 1954.05.; Meissen vic.: Oberau 1.3 km NW, leg. Seifert 1982.07.26, 2002.05.31; Ochsenfurt / Main , leg. C.Trabert 1953.06.11; Pirna, Weesenstein , leg. Bobawetzky 1961.07.25; Rehberg, Rheinland ( Kuppe unter Stein ), 1968.04.14. leg. Schmaus; Rudolstadt vic.: Schwarza , leg. Sander 1987.09.17; Spice, (? illegible), Sammlung, 1964 F. Rüschkamp; Würgassen 2 km SW, leg. Sonnenburg 200.06.03; Würzburg 2.5 km N, Dürrbach , leg. Seifert 1991.05.27; Würzburg vic.: Iphofen 2 km N, leg. Seifert 1991.05.29; Würzburg vic.: Lindelbach 1 km N, leg. Seifert.

Hungary: Baán, 1881.08.22. (No. 718/278); Badacsony , 1929.08.24. leg. Szabó-Patay ; Badacsony , 1929.08.24. leg. Szabó-Patay ; Badacsony , 1929.08.24. leg. Szabó-Patay ; Badacsony, Szabó-Patay 1929.08.28.; Beregsz. , 1883.10.15.; Debrecen, 1914.09.02. leg. Bíró ; Érd, 1935.09.11. leg. Csiki 1; Felsőlövő , 1911.04.03.; Fonyód, leg. Sieber 1988.06.19.; Gyula , 2000.06.20. leg. Csősz ; Hu. Baranya megye, 1949.01.31. leg. Dr. Székessy ; Hu. Nyírség, Bátorliget , 1948.06.17 –28. leg. Kaszab ; Hu. Nyírség, Bátorliget , 1948.05.10 –15. leg. Kaszab & Székessy ; Hungaria, Bátorliget , /marshland/ 1990.10.04. leg. Merkl ; Hungaria, Bátorliget , 1989.06. leg. Mahunka (No. HU 2636) ; Hungaria, Bátorliget, Tölgy-Szil erdő, 1989.04.05. Szalóki; Keő , 1881.09.09; Kölked 1924.05.23. leg. Bokor ; Körtvélyes; Mezőkovácsháza , 1886.07.15. leg. Mocs. (No. 388.) ; Nagyvázsony, Kab-hegy 1924. 05.06. leg. Dudich ; Nagyvázsony, Kab-hegy , 1924.05.06. leg. Dudich ; Nyírség, Bátorliget 1948.06.17 –23, leg. Kaszab ; Hu. Nyírség, Bátorliget, Ligeterdő 1949.09.28.–10.01. leg. Kaszab ; O. sebeshely, 1913.07.03. leg. Bíró; O. Sebeshely , 1913.06.30. leg. Bíró ; Orehovica, 1885.06.04.; Pálmakert , 1912.09.19. leg. Horváth ; Pálmatér , 1912. leg. Horváth ; Pálmatér , leg. Com. Békés; Simontornya, (No. 718/283); Simontornya , 1882.04.08.; Simontornya , 1882.04.08.; Simontornya, Hung. occ. 1912.03–25 leg. Pillich ; Simontornya, Hung. occ. 1913.06.18.; Szeged, Úszegedi tiszapart 1936.10.15. leg. Czógler ; Szentes , 3/5 .; Italy: Prov.Avellino: Montanella – 4 km S, leg. A. Schulz 1994.05.13.; Segrate , 1971.09.26; Isola Ponza, 1967.01.18; Sardinia: Monte Limbara, 1050 m, 1994.05.03 ; Morocco: MoyenAtlas: Ibel Tazzeka , leg. A. Schulz 1995.05.15. Romania – Hermannstadt, house garden, 1924.03.26. leg. A. Müller ; Hermannstadt, vicinity, 1930.06.20. leg. A. Müller ; Mts. Meszes, Zilah , 1925.01.14. leg. Tréger ; N. Károly, 1882.05.25.; S. Regen, Aussischwarte , 1921.07.10. leg. Müller ; T.szarvad 1882.12.12.; Tasnád Szarvad (No. 718/274); Zlatica ( Krassó-Szörény Com. ) 1886.06.07.; Zlatica, 1886.06.07 . Slovakia – Kormos , 1881.09.12. (No. 718/279) . Spain – Sant Llorenc de Morunys, Lleida, Spain , 1984.06.06. leg. Espadaler. Switzerland – Bern: Neuenstadt , coll. P.Louis 1948.07.27; Valais: Pfynwald, leg. F. Schmid 1972.; Enge , 1880.04.12.; Neuenstadt, Kanton Bern, 1948.07.27.; Valais: Pfynwald, leg. F. Schmid 1972. Tunisia: AinDraham 15.3 km S, leg. Schulz 1995.10.07; Unknownlocality : 1948.10.15. leg. V. H. Kolt .

Worker ( Figs 5, 7 & 9 , Table 1 ) – Average body length 3.0– 3.5 mm. Colour darker; brown to dark brown, somewhat brownish black. Mandibles triangular, with 3 apical teeth at the tip of the masticatory border, followed by a regular series of 9–14 minute denticles. Clypeus slightly produced anteriorly, with a rather distinctly raised longitudinal carina. Whole body covered with thick decumbent hairs. Head strongly punctured, the frontal furrow generally reaches the middle part of head. Eyes small, with 1–5 minute facetes. Scape with subdecumbent and suberect hairs. Tibiae with decumbent, or subdecumbent hairs. Alitrunk relatively higher than in testacea . Mesonotal furrow between the mesonotum and anepisternum well developed. Petiole higher and more scale-like than in testacea , the anterior and posterior profiles running subparallel. The subpetiolar tooth-like process mesosoma: 10 = P. testacea , 11 = P. coarctata small but distinct, frequently not forming a well-developed triangular projection down- and backward; subpetiolar fenestra small. First gaster tergite with dense hairs. Average distance of the fine cuticular points on the first gaster tergite 19.4 µm [17.2–21.8 µm]. Overall pigmentation in mature specimens significantly darker than in testacea . Whole nest populations with all individuals light brown are unknown. For morphometric measurements of altogether 146 workers see Table 1 .

Gyne ( Fig. 11 ) – Similar to the worker. Average body length over 3.5 mm. Colour darker, brownto dark brownsomewhat black. Whole body with thick decumbent hairs. Scape with subdecumbent and suberect hairs. Tibiae with decumbent hairs. Metanotal furrow between the katepisternum and anepisternum well-developed and always visible. Petiole high and scale-like in profile. The subpetiolar tooth-like process frequently not forming a well-developed caudoventral triangular projection. First gaster tergite with dense hairs, similar to the worker.

Morphometric measurements of 19 gynes (SEIFERT): CS 714±27 [662,752], FoDG 19.57±0.77 [18.3,20.8], PEL/NOH 1.100±0.047 [1.021,1.196], PiMe 9.71±1.04 [8.0,12.0], CL/CW 1.214±0.019 [1.179,1.248], SL/ CS 0.817±0.008 [0.802,0.830], ML / CS 1.661±0.030 [1.589,1.706], MW / CS 0.767±0.019 [0.734,0.798], PEW/ CS 0.525±0.022 [0.478,0.559], PEL/ CS 0.431±0.013 [0.410,0.457], NOH/ CS 0.392±0.017 [0.355,0.426].

Morphometric measurements of 11 gynes ( CSŐSZ): CL 769±17 [745,790], CW 635±12 [620,650], CS 702±14 [685,720], FR/ CS 0.117±0.006 [0.1,0.125], FL/ CS 0.245±0.01 [0.226,0.260], SL/ CS 793±0.016 [0.825,0.778], ML / CS 1.588±0.037 [1.533,1.632], MH / CS 0.80±0.038 [0.758,0.858], PEH/ CS 0.724±0.018 [0.702,0.759], PH / CS 0.397±0.016 [0.379,0.421], PL / CS 0.353±0.016 [0.323,0.365], PEW/ CS 0.534±0.016 [0.518,0.557], CL/CW 1,210±0.0218 [1.188,1.242], FL/FR 2.075±0.114 [1.938,2.205], PH / PL 1.143±0.042 [1.10,1.196], ML / MH 1.972±0.051 [1.902,2.018], CL/SL 1.383±0.254 [1.355,1.411],

Male – Average body length over 3.00 mm. Colour always black. Whole body with numerous thick decumbent hairs. Head with dense long hairs. Eyes with long hairs among the facetes. Alitrunk more robust inprofile view thaninits sibling species.

Figures

Figs 4–11. 4–5 = Lateral aspect of the petiole: 4 = Ponera testacea, 5 = P. coarctata; 6–7 = petiole feature of the worker from above: 6 = P.testacea, 7 = P.coarctata; 8–9 = Lateral aspect of the worker mesosoma and petiole: 8 = P. testacea, 9 = P. coarctata; 10–11 = Lateral aspect of the gyne