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Aphaenogaster asterioni
| Aphaenogaster asterioni | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Aphaenogaster |
| Species group: | subterranea |
| Species: | A. asterioni |
| Binomial name | |
| Aphaenogaster asterioni Borowiec, Menchetti, Salata, Vila & Zięcina, 2024 | |
Nests of Aphaenogaster asterioni were located under flat stones placed very close to the watercourse banks overgrown by deciduous trees and blackberry bushes, on Crete, Greece. Foraging workers were collected in the leaf litter, on tree trunks close to the soil and on the wet wall of a water reservoir that served as a watering station for goats.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Aphaenogaster asterioni belongs to the complex of species with partly smooth and shiny head. The complex comprises additionally Aphaenogaster subterranea, Aphaenogaster ichnusa and Aphaenogaster holtzi.
Aphaenogaster asterioni differs from these species in subtrapezoid head shape. Additionally, the ‘lesbica’ morph of A. subterranea is darker (uniformly brown to dark brown) while A. asterioni has yellow to rusty yellow body with sometimes slightly obscure spots on the head and the sides of the pronotum are paler coloured than mesosoma. The typical morph of A. subterranea differs in longer and less obliquely mesopleuron than in A. asterioni; thus, the mesosoma in lateral view looks less plump and less humpier. Aphaenogaster asterioni differs additionally from both morphs in weaker and sparser sculpture on lateral frons and more developed humeral tubercles Also, both species are separated geographically, A. asterioni is endemic to Crete while both morphs of A. subterranea are widespread in the Balkans and Europe but not recorded from Crete.
Aphaenogaster ichnusa differs in stronger and denser sculpture on lateral frons and less developed humeral tubercles. Both species are separated geographically, A. ichnusa is known only from western Europe while A. asterioni is endemic to Crete.
Aphaenogaster holtzi well differs in mostly uniform yellow body, head and mesosoma predominantly smooth and shiny (only lateral frons with very few fine and interrupted costulae), and in occipital margin of the head with numerous long and erect setae.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Greece, Cretan endemic.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 35.4° to 35.3°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Ziecina et al., 2024
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece (type locality).
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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Phylogeny
| Aphaenogaster subterranea species group |
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Based on Zięcina et al. (2024).
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- asterioni. Aphaenogaster asterioni Borowiec et al., 2024: 241, figs. 1-4 (w.) GREECE.
Type Material
- Holotype (w.): Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR01422 || GREECE, Crete, Rethymno | Orthes Gorge, 318 m | 35,3336 N / 24,6848 E | 28 IV 2014. S. Salata (Museum of Natural History).
- Paratypes (35w.): same colony, the same data as the holotype (Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum of Crete, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève).