Temnothorax ravouxi (André 1896)

Schifani, Enrico, Csősz, SÁndor, Viviano, Roberto & Alicata, Antonio, 2021, Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Natural History Sciences 8 (1), pp. 55-70 : 61-62

9. Temnothorax ravouxi (André 1896)

This is a relatively widespread social parasite species, alternatively placed in the genus Myrmoxenus Ruzsky 1902 (see Ward et al., 2015; 2016; Seifert et al., 2016). Its potential host species are numerous, and most frequently belong to the tuberum group (Seifert 2018). We collected a single gyne by leaf litter sifting, and its Sicilian host(s) remain unknown. Unfortunately, that queen, found more 20 years ago, is poorly preserved, and shows faded pigmentation and abraded pilosity, making some relevant taxonomic characters unusable (Seifert 2018). However, we confidently identified it on the basis of the following character combination (see Ruzsky, 1902; Emery, 1915; Cagniant, 1968; Seifert, 2018): i) 11-segmented antennae, excluding the Eastern Mediterranean T. gordiagini (Ruzsky 1902) ; ii) yellowish color in the original pigmentation, different from T. kraussei (Emery 1915) (the specimen was also caught in an area probably unsuitable for the exclusive host of T. kraussei , Trecedens (Nylander 1856)) ; iii) well developed lobe-like shape of the subpetiolar process, excluding T. algerianus Cagniant 1968 ; iv) mandible armed with 4-5 dents or denticles, excluding T. stumperi Kutter 1950 . Temnothorax ravouxi is the second parasitic Temnothorax reported from Sicily after T. muellerianus (Finzi) which belongs to a separate group (Buschinger et al., 1988). However, Sicily may likely be inhabited by another species of the same group, T. kraussei , considering its biogeography (particularly its presence in both Calabria and Tunisia) and the relatively widespread presence of its host, T. recedens , in Sicily.

Examined material ( Fig. 4 e-f)

Syracuse province: Madonna delle Grazie, Buccheri, Quercus spp. forest, 05.05.1997, G. Silluzio legit, AAC.

Figures

Fig. 4 - a-b) Temnothorax clypeatus. Worker / operaia. Bosco di Santo Pietro (AAC). c-d) Temnothorax nylanderi. Worker / operaia. Lago Maulazzo (ESC). e-f) Temnothorax ravouxi. Queen / regina. Madonna delle Grazie (AAC). Scale bar / scala grafica: 0.5 mm.