Cataglyphis cretica

Cataglyphis cretica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Cataglyphis
Species group:	cursor
Species complex:	cursor
Species:	C. cretica
Binomial name
	Cataglyphis cretica; (Forel, 1910)

A species associated with open, sunny and arid habitats with sandy soil. Nesting under stones or in soil. Very often located on dirty roads, seaside or in alpine zone. Monogynous colonies. Workers active during the day. (Salata & Borowiec, L., 2018)

At a Glance

• Brachypterous Queen

Identification

Cataglyphis cretica is similar to Cataglyphis hellenica and Cataglyphis minos but differs in bigger body size and additionally from C. hellenica can be separated also based on more evident and opalescent body sculpture. However, the most evident differences are in body setation, C. cretica has first three gastral tergites, occipital part of head and antennal scapus lacking long erected setae (only occasionally major workers have a pair of short setae in occipital part of head) while both relatives have at least promesonotum and occipital part of head with erected setae and often frontal face of head antennal scapus and propodeum are also setose. Cataglyphis cretica and C. hellenica differ also in the shape male genitalia, in C. hellenica median appendix of squamula is big and has a shape of widening distally shovel, while C. cretica has median appendix of squamula small and spherical. Cataglyphis minos is sympatric with C. cretica in Crete but both taxa are separated ecologically, C. cretica occupies lowlands and highlands with the highest locality placed at an altitude 1240 m while Cataglyphis minos was observed only in mountains at an altitude above 1300 m. Cataglyphis hellenica was recorded from continental Greece, Aegean Islands and Cyclades but is absent in Crete.

Salata and Borowiec (2018) - Cataglyphis cretica is a member of the C. cursor group characterized by uniformly dark body colouration and nodiform scale. From most of Mediterranean species it differs in lack of erect setae on scape and presence of at most 3-5 erect setae on the occipital margin of head and first gaster tergite (in most specimens erect setae are absent). The only known species with similar set of characters is Cataglyphis aenescens. Workers and gynes of C. cretica differ from C. aenescens in bigger body size and dull body sculpture. There also distinct differences in male genitalia between those two species. In C. aenescens median appendix of squamula is big and has a shape of widening distally shovel, while C. cretica has median appendix of squamula small and spherical.

Keys including this Species

Key to Cataglyphis of Greece

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 35.59051° to 35.03333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

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.

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.

Habitat

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Very thermophilous species. Reported from open areas such as sandy roads in mountain plateau, seashore with frygana and pine trees and roadsides in oak forests. All collecting sites were at low and mid altitude, from sea level to 1240 m.

Biology

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Workers are active only in strong sunlight, especially in the afternoon hours.

Castes

Worker


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Queen

Queen is brachypterous, i.e. short, non-functional wings are present at adult emergence. This implies that she mates close to her natal colony, and dispersal distance is limited (Peeters & Aron 2017)

Lack of wing muscles inside the thorax of Cataglyphis cretica brachypterous queen. Compare this to a normal flying queen such as Cataglyphis viatica. Dissection by Christian Peeters, photograph by Adam Khalife.


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Male


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Nomenclature

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

cretica. Myrmecocystus cursor var. cretica Forel, 1910a: 23.
- [First available use of Myrmecocystus cursor subsp. aenescens var. cretica Emery, 1906d: 48 (in text), fig. 4 (w.m.) GREECE (Crete); unavailable (infrasubspecific) name (Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 61).]
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype male.
- Type-locality: Greece: Crete I. (“Candia”) (no collector’s name).
- Type-depository: MSNG.
- Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 19 (q.).
- Combination in Cataglyphis: Emery, 1925b: 264.
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1925b: 264; Santschi, 1929b: 54.
- Subspecies of cursor: Agosti, 1990b: 1482; Bolton, 1995b: 135; Legakis, 2011: 34.
- Junior synonym of aenescens: Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2013: 384 (in text).
- Status as species: Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 13 (redescription) ; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2022: 138.
- Material of the unavailable name dorica referred here by Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 13.
- Distribution: Greece.

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

Salata and Borowiec (2018) - Cataglyphis cretica, based on limited material, was synonymized with C. aenescens by Borowiec & Salata (2013). After re-examination of collected material, supplemented by further expeditions, and study on type specimens we discovered features that allow us to consider this taxon as a good species.

Description

Salata and Borowiec, 2018:

Worker

(n=15): HL: 1.717 ± 0.211 (1.202-1.927); HW: 1.437 ± 0.203 (0.968-1.661); SL: 2.1 ± 0.243 (1.516-2.581); EL: 0.446 ± 0.05 (0.339-0.516); EW: 0.326 ± 0.035 (0.258-0.355); ML: 2.716 ± 0.302 (1.984-3.0); PNW: 1.258 ± 0.18 (0.911-1.478); HI: 83.5 ± 3.0 (76.7-86.4); SI1: 123.3 ± 16.7 (111.9-186.1); SI2:148.0 ± 21.2 (129.4-222.3); MI: 113.8 ± 3.6 (107.3-119.3); EI1: 73.3 ± 3.5 (68.8-80.9); EI2: 19.0 ± 0.8 (18.3-21.5).

Colour. Head, mesosoma and gaster bright brown to black. Antennae and legs bright brown, sometimes femora with darker centre. Head. Square, 1.2 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes gently convex, posterior edges convex, occipital margin of head convex. Anterior margin of the clypeus convex with shallow impression in central part. Eyes big, oval, 1.4 times as long as wide. Antennal scape long, in lateral view straight, 1.2 times as long as length of the head, in apex gradually widened, its base without tooth, funiculus long. Surface of scape with very dense microsculpture, opalescent, covered with thin, moderate dense, adpressed setae. Mandibles rounded with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny. Clypeus opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa shallow, opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation. Whole head opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation. The whole head surface covered by short, adpressed setae; sometimes occipital margin with a few (<3) long, thin erect setae. Mesosoma. Long, 2.2 times as long as wide; metanotal groove shallow. Pronotum convex on sides. In lateral view promesonotum slightly arched in profile, propodeum positioned lower than promesonotum, its dorsum and posterior side slightly convex. Whole mesosoma opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation. Whole mesosoma covered by dense, short, adpressed microsetae. Scale. Squamiform, its anterior and posterior sides slightly convex, apex wide and convex, its surface opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation and covered by dense, short, adpressed microsetae. Gaster. Shiny to slightly dull, with sparser microreticulation, bearing at most 5 erect, long setae and covered by sparse, short, adpressed microsetae.

Queen

(n=1). HL: 1.92; HW: 1.70; ML: 3.20; PNW: 1.48.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and gaster bright brown, centre of head reddish brown with diffused borders. Antennae, femora and legs tibiae bright brown, apex of tibiae yellowish, tarsi yellowish. Body sculpture and setosity. The same as in worker. Head. Square, 1.1 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes gently convex, posterior edges convex, occipital margin of head convex. Eyes big, oval, 1.5 times as long as wide. Antennal scape long, in lateral view straight, approximately as long as head, in apex gradually widened, its base without tooth, funiculus long. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa shallow. Mesosoma. Long, 2.2 times as long as wide; metanotal groove shallow. Pronotum convex on sides. In lateral view pronotum together with scale slightly arched in profile, scutellum slightly arched, propodeum positioned lower than promesonotum, its dorsum and posterior side slightly convex. Scale. Squamiform, its anterior and posterior sides slightly convex, apex narrow and convex Gaster. Lacking setosity.

Male

(n=1). HL: 1.55; HW: 1.37; ML: 3.12; PNW: 1.81.

Colour. Head, mesosoma, gaster, antennal scapi, and femora black, tibiae brown with yellowish apex, antennal funiculus yellowish (Fig. 24). Body sculpture and setosity. The same as in worker. Head. Square, 1.1 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes gently convex, posterior edges convex, occipital margin of head convex. Eyes big, oval, 1.2 times as long as wide. Antennal scape moderate, in lateral view straight, approximately as long as head, in apex gradually widened, its base without tooth, funiculus long. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa shallow. Mesosoma. Long, 1.7 times as long as wide; metanotal groove shallow. Pronotum convex on sides. In lateral view mesosoma arched in profile, only scutellum positioned above scutum and arched, propodeum positioned lower than promesonotum, its dorsum and posterior side slightly convex. Scale. Squamiform, its anterior and posterior sides slightly convex, apex wide and convex Gaster. Lacking setosity. Male genitalia as in images.

Type Material

Salata and Borowiec (2018) - Type material. Syntype (w): Myrmecocustus, cursor, aenescens, ver. cretica Em.; Creta, (Cecconi), Kufor,, CASENT0102116, ANTWEB (MSNG).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.