Aphaenogaster maculifrons

Aphaenogaster maculifrons
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Aphaenogaster
Species group:	subterranea
Species:	A. maculifrons
Binomial name
Aphaenogaster maculifrons Kiran & Aktaç, 2008

A. maculifrons was found in almost all forest groves, consisting of old Pinus nigra Arnold, between 1420–1770 m a.s.l. in the Sultan Mts. Nests are under very big stones and contain several thousand workers.

Identification

Kiran et al. (2008) - Aphaenogaster maculifrons clearly belongs to the subterranea group with its scapus barely surpassing occipital margin and funicular segments 2–6 as long as broad and the occipital margin having a distinct edge. This species especially differs from the other species of this group with a quite distinct dark patch on the frontal area.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.51666667° to 38.15°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Türkiye (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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• maculifrons. Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma) maculifrons Kiran & Aktaç, in Kiran, et al. 2008: 691, fig. 2 (w.q.) TURKEY.
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 709 paratype workers, 25 paratype queens.
  • Type-locality: holotype Turkey: Konya-Akşehir-Eskiler Village, (38°09’N, 31°31’E), 1770 m., 2.viii.2002, 02/0822 (K. Kiran); paratypes: 94 workers, 3 queens with same data, 160 workers, 18 queens with same data but varying collection numbers (K. Kiran), 182 workers, 4 queens Turkey: Izmir, 7 km. SW Konya-Akşehir, 1500 m., 1.viii.2002 (K. Kiran), 179 workers Turkey: Akşehir-Cakilli Village, 1620 m., 1.viii.2002 (K. Kiran), 94 workers Turkey: Isparta-Yalvaç-Camharman Village, 1420 m., 3.viii.2002 (K. Kiran).
  • Type-depositories: EMTU (holotype); EMTU, LEMT (paratypes) .
  • Status as species: Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 16; Borowiec, L. 2014: 14.
  • Distribution: Turkey.

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

Description

Worker

Head longer than broad, broader above the mandibles, widening towards the occiput, occiput flat and occipital margin distinctly edged. Head with faint longitudinal striae, surfaces between the striae distinctly punctuate, striae not reaching the occiput as Aphaenogaster subterranea, unlike A. subterranea, punctuation reaching the occiput, head subopaque, frontal area with distinct dark patch towards vertex. Clypeus and frontal triangles with two longitudinal striae, anterior margin of clypeus wide and deeply notched. Mandibles shiny, with a few superficial, longitudinal striae and armed with 3 distinct apical teeth. Scapus with faintly longitudinal striae and decumbent hair, barely surpassing the occiput, funiculus segments 2–6 as wide as long, without distinct antennal club. Mesosoma similar to A. subterranea, but more matt and sculptured, mesopleuron longitudinally striated like whole mesosoma (in A. subterranea punctuated). Propodeal spins similar to A. subterranea. Nodes smooth, gaster smooth and shiny. Hairs as in A. subterranea. Colour darker and matter than in A. subterranea, head and mesosoma yellowish brown, gaster blackish.

Queen

Head slightly longer than broad, outlines of head as in workers, much denser longitudinal striation than in A. subterranea (denser than worker), surfaces between the striae without punctuation, striae ending behind the eyes, not reaching the occiput, eyes big, surrounding of ocelli with dark patch. Clypeus and frontal triangle longitudinally striate. Scapus with decumbent hair and surpassing the occiput barely. Clypeal notch distinct. 2–6 funicular segments as wide as long. Head more or less matt, mandibles well developed, with a few superficial striae and 6 distinct teeth. Sides of pronotum, metapleuron and propodeum with longitudinal striae, metanotum, dorsum of propodeum and posterior part of scutellum with transverse striae, other part of mesosoma smooth, prescutum not as depressed as in A. subterranea, scutellum less convex than in A. subterranea, epinotal spines well developed, quite thick and bluntly ending. Nodes quite high, dorsum of the nods transversally striated. Gaster smooth and shiny. Body hairs as in A. subterranea, but on gaster quite sparse and irregularly distributed. Head, mesosoma and legs light yellowish brown, gaster brown. Wings as in A. subterranea.

Type Material

Holotype – worker: Turkey, Konya-Aksehir-Eskiler Village, (38°09' N, 31°31' E), 1770 m a.s.l., 02.VIII.2002: 02/0822, (leg. K. Kiran). Paratypes: 94 workers, 3 alate queens from same nest as the holotype (leg. K. Kiran) (TU, LEMT); 160 workers, 18 alate queens from same locality and date as holotype, 02/810, 811, 812a, 823 (leg. K. Kiran) (TU); 182 workers, 4 alate queens, Turkey, Konya-Aksehir 7 km SW, (38◦31_ N, 31◦25_ E), 1500 m a.s.l., 01.VIII.2002: 02/753, 754a, 762 (leg. K. Kiran) (TU); 179 workers, Turkey, Aksehir-Cakilli Village, (38◦14_ N, 31◦31_ E), 1620 m a.s.l., 01.VIII.2002: 02/802, 803, 804, 806, 807 (leg. K. Kiran) (TU); 94 workers, Turkey, Isparta-Yalvac-Camharman Village, (38°24' N, 31°06' E), 1420 m a.s.l., 03.VIII.2002: 02/871, 874, 875 (leg. K. Kiran) (TU).

Etymology

The species name maculifrons combines Latin maculi (patch) + frons (frontal area), it refers to a dark patch in the frontal area.

References

• Kiran K, Aktaç N and S. Tezcan. 2008. Three new species of ants, genus Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Turkey. Biologia. 63(5):689-695.
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Kiran, K., Karaman, C. 2020. Additions to the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoosystema 42(18), 285-329 (doi:10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a18).
• Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Borowiec, L., García, F., Gentile, V., Gómez, K., Nalini, E., Rigato, F., Schär, S., Scupola, A., Vila, R., Menchetti, M. 2023. Unrecognized for centuries: distribution and sexual caste descriptions of the West European Aphaenogaster species of the subterranea group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1153, 141–156 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1153.98297).
• Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Menchetti, M., Borowiec, L., Fisher, B.L., Karaman, C., Kiran, K., Oueslati, W., Salata, S., Blatrix, R. 2022. Revisiting the morphological species groups of West-Palearctic Aphaenogaster ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) under a phylogenetic perspective: toward an evolutionary classification. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 80, 627–648 (doi:10.3897/asp.80.e84428).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Kiran K., N. Aktaç, and S. Tezcan. 2008. Three new species of ants, genus Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Turkey. Biologia 63 (5): 689-695.