Lasius kritikos, Seifert, 2020

Seifert, Bernhard, 2020, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s. str. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Soil Organisms 92 (1), pp. 15-86 : 60-61

4.4.20 Lasius kritikos sp. nov.

Etymology: Derived from the Greek masculine word Κρήτήκος for an inhabitant of Crete.

Type material: Holotype plus 2 paratype workers on the same pin labelled ” GREECE: 24.04— 04.05.1992 Kreta, Ida Gebirge Nordseite, 1400-1500 mH, Leg. Schulz 640“; 3 paratype workers labelled ” GREECE: 24.04— 04.05.1992 Kreta, Ida Gebirge Nordseite , 1300 mH, Leg. Schulz 644“; 6 paratype workers on two pins labelled ”GR- Kreta, 3 km SW Omalos, 1400- 1600m, Nordwesthang Eichenwald, Leg: Schulz 24.04— 04.05.1992, 682“; depository SMN Görlitz.

All material examined. Only the 3 type samples with 12 workers were available for investigation. For details see supplementary information SI1.

Geographic range. So far only known from the two type localities in Crete at elevations of 1300 to 1500 m.

Diagnosis ( Tab. 4 , Figs. 39 –40; key):

Absolute size rather small (CS 866 µm). Scape and maxillary palp length indices high (SL/CS 900 1.007, MP6/ CS 900 0.217). Number of mandibular dents not recordable in the available material but MaDe 900 predictably> 8. Clypeal pubescence very dense (sqPDCL 900 3.36). Pronotal setae long (PnHL/CS 900 0.155). Dorsum of scape, extensor profile of hind tibia and metapleuron below propodeal spiracle without or with very few semierect to erect setae (nSc 900 0.9, nHT 900 2.2, nSt 900 1.6). L. kritikos shares with L. casevitzi the large SL/CS 900 and MP6/ CS 900 data but can be separated from the latter by the much lower setae numbers. Coloration: medium brown with a yellowish tinge, gaster a little lighter; mandibles antennae, tibiae and tarsae a pale yellowish brown.

Biology. Largely unknown. One sample was collected in a NW-facing Quercus forest.

Comments. Both NC-Ward and NC-UPGMA clustering place the three samples of L. kritikos sp. nov. as a branch separate from L. casevitzi and L. paralienus but in close proximity to the latter. NC-part.hclust and NC-part.kmeans do not confirm the separate identity of the L. kritikos sp. nov. branch which is a consequence of the low sample size. However, the distinct character combination of L. kritikos sp. nov. becomes clear from the data in Tab. 4 which justifies to consider it as a Cretan endemic species.

Figures

Figs. 39 and 40: Lasius kritikos sp. nov.; holotype