Myrmica orthostyla

Myrmica orthostyla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. orthostyla
Binomial name
	Myrmica orthostyla; Arnol'di, 1976

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - M. orthostyla lives at quite high altitudes (about 2500 m) in various kinds of mountains steppes. Nests were built in soil, usually under stones. Based on collecting data, males were found in the nests in September, which indicates that mating flights are in late summer (August-September).

Identification

A member of the tibetana group. It is very similar to Myrmica tenuispina, but differs from it mainly by the thin, straight, long, stick-like propodeal spines. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

Keys including this Species

Key to Myrmica of the Middle Asian Mountains

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 41.508577° to 41.508577°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Kyrgyzstan (type locality), Russian Federation.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

orthostyla. Myrmica orthostyla Arnol'di, 1976a: 552, fig, 8 (w.q.m.) KYRGYZSTAN. See also: Tarbinsky, 1976: 27; See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 210.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Etymology

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - the name is a combination of the Greek words orthos = straight and stylos = pillar or pole, to describe the straight stick or pole-like propodeal spines.

References

Arnol'di, K. V. 1976a. Ants of the genus Myrmica Latr. from Central Asia and the southern Kazakstan. Zool. Zh. 55: 547-558.

Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789.

Tarbinsky, Y.S. 1976. The ants of Kirghizia. Frunze: Ilim, 217 pp. (page 27, see also)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 2010. Myrmica ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 790 pp.
Schultz, R., A. G. Radchenko, and B. Seifert. "A critical checklist of the ants of Kyrgyzstan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8 (2006): 201-207.