Malta

Malta
Location
Region	Europe
Subregion	Southern Europe
BioRegion	Palaearctic Region
Diversity
Subfamilies	7
Genera	29
Endemic Genera	0
% Endemic Genera	0.0%
Species/Subspecies	85
Endemic Species	4
% Endemic Species	4.7%
Introduced Species	7

The following valid species and subspecies of ants are known to occur in Malta. Unidentified and undescribed species will be added to this list as identifications are verified and taxonomic revisions are published. This species list is based upon the effort of many ant collectors as well as myrmecologists who have published on the taxonomy of Malta ants. Those who have specimen records that expand this list are encouraged to submit this information in the discussion section of the Malta Ants web page. Please advise if any corrections are warranted.

Aphaenogaster

• Aphaenogaster balcanica (Emery, 1898) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Aphaenogaster campana Emery, 1878
• Aphaenogaster fiorii Emery, 1915
• Aphaenogaster inermita Bolton, 1995
• Aphaenogaster melitensis Santschi, 1933
• Aphaenogaster semipolita ionia Baroni Urbani (Treated as a valid species by Gomez, 2017))
• Aphaenogaster splendida (Roger, 1859)
• Aphaenogaster subterranea (Latreille, 1798) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Aphaenogaster subterraneosplendida André, 1883

Camponotus

• Camponotus aethiops (Latreille, 1798) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Camponotus barbaricus Emery, 1904
• Camponotus fallax (Nylander, 1846) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Camponotus lateralis (Olivier, 1791)
• Camponotus piceus (Leach, 1825) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Camponotus sicheli Mayr, 1866 (Not included in Gomez, 2017)

Cardiocondyla

• Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890 (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Cardiocondyla nigra Forel

Colobopsis

• Colobopsis truncata (Spinola, 1808)

Crematogaster

• Crematogaster auberti Emery, 1869 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Crematogaster laestrygon Emery, 1869 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier, 1791)

Formica

• Formica fusca Linnaeus, 1758 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))

Hypoponera

• Hypoponera abeillei (Andre, 1881) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Hypoponera eduardi Forel, 1894
• Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894) (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))

Lasius

• Lasius alienus (Foerster, 1850) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1791) (Misidentified as Lasius niger (Gomez, 2017))
• Lasius lasioides (Emery, 1869) (Misidentified as Lasius alienus (Gomez, 2017))
• Lasius maltaeus Seifert, 2020

Lepisiota

• Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Santschi, 1917) (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Lepisiota frauenfeldi atlantis (Santschi, 1917) (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Lepisiota velox (Baroni Urbani, 1968)

Leptanilla

• Leptanilla revelierii Emery, 1870 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))

Linepithema

• Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) (introduced)

Messor

• Messor bouvieri Bondroit, 1918
• Messor caducus (Motschoulsky, 1839)
• Messor capitatus (Latreille, 1798)
• Messor wasmanni Krausse, 1910

Monomorium

• Monomorium salomonis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Monomorium subopacum (Smith, 1858)

Myrmecina

• Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802)

Nylanderia

• Nylanderia jaegerskioeldi (Mayr) (introduced)

Oxyopomyrmex

• Oxyopomyrmex saulcyi Emery

Paratrechina

• Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, (1802) (introduced)

Parvaponera

• Parvaponera darwinii Forel, 1893 (introduced)

Pheidole

• Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879 (introduced)
• Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1848)

Plagiolepis

• Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille, 1798)

Proceratium

• Proceratium algiricum Forel, 1899 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Proceratium melinum (Roger, 1860)
• Proceratium melitense De Andrade, 2003

Solenopsis

• Solenopsis fairchildi Wheeler, W.M. 1926 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Solenopsis fugax Latreille, 1798 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Solenopsis orbula Emery, 1875
• Solenopsis santschii Forel, 1905

Stenamma

• Stenamma petiolatum Emery, 1897
• Stenamma sardoum Emery, 1895 (Not included in Gomez, 2017)
• Stenamma striatulum Emery, 1895 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))

Stigmatomma

• Stigmatomma denticulatum Roger, 1859

Strongylognathus

• Strongylognathus insularis Baroni Urbani, 1968

Strumigenys

• Strumigenys baudueri (Emery, 1875)
• Strumigenys lewisi Cameraon, 1886 (introduced)
• Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869)
• Strumigenys tenuipilis (Emery, 1875) (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))

Tapinoma

• Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798)
• Tapinoma insularis Seifert, Kaufmann & Fraysse, 2024
• Tapinoma nigerrimum (Nylander)
• Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 1909

Temnothorax

• Temnothorax angustulus (Nylander, 1856)
• Temnothorax aveli Bondroit, 1918
• Temnothorax exilis Emery, 1869
• Temnothorax laestrygon (Santschi) (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Temnothorax mediterraneus Ward et al., 2014
• Temnothorax recedens (Nylander, 1856)
• Temnothorax splendidiceps (Baroni Urbani, 1968)
• Temnothorax unifasciatus (Latreille, 1798)

Tetramorium

• Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander) (introduced)
• Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Tetramorium davidi Forel, 1913 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Tetramorium diomedeum Emery
• Tetramorium ferox Ruzsky, 1903
• Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870
• Tetramorium meridionale Emery, 1870 (Needs confirmation (Gomez, 2017))
• Tetramorium semilaeve André

References

• Baroni Urbani, C. 1968e. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. IV. La fauna mirmecologica delle isole Maltesi ed il suo significato ecologico e biogeografico. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. "Giacomo Doria" 77: 408-559
• Gomez, K. 2017. Two species of exotic ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) new to Malta. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 61: 233–235.
• Schembri, S. P.; Collingwood, C. A. 1981. A revision of the myrmecofauna of the Maltese Islands (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. "Giacomo Doria" 83: 417-442
• RADCHENKO A. 2007. Fauna Europea: Formicidae. In: NOYES, J. (ed.), Fauna Europaea: Hymenoptera: Apocrita. Fauna Europaea version 1.3; http://www.faunaeur.org, accessed on 10.12.2008.