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Messor danaes
| Messor danaes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Stenammini |
| Genus: | Messor |
| Species group: | instabilis |
| Species complex: | semirufus |
| Species: | M. danaes |
| Binomial name | |
| Messor danaes Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023
| |
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The nest sample of Messor danaes was collected in phrygana located in the central, mountainous part of the island. The nest was located under a stone, close to a dirt road.
Identification
Messor danaes with Messor veneris are the smallest Balkan members of the M. semirufus complex. The largest majors have HW and HL < 2.0 mm (only two of the studied specimens have HW > 2.0 mm but < 2.1 mm). They are clearly characterised by low numbers of occipital setae, always fewer than nine. Messor veneris clearly differs from M. danaes in bicoloured body with completely or predominantly red mesosoma while in M. danaes mesosoma is entirely black. Messor veneris has very distinct and regular background microreticulation of head and first gastral tergite while in M. danaes head and gaster are smooth and shiny, only with diffused and, especially on head, hardly visible background microreticulation. Rare dark (predominantly dark brown to almost black) forms of Messor atanassovii, Messor creticus and [[Messor kardamenae] clearly differ from M. danaes in numerous occipital setae (7–20) spread on almost the whole occipital region while M. danaes has the smallest number of occipital setae in the entire complex (6–8, at most 10, grouping more centrally on vertex than in occipital corners). From other species of the M. semirufus complex known from the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin, only Messor ebeninus has uniformly black body but it differs in larger body size with HW in the largest majors up to 2.6 mm and in more evident head sculpture with longitudinal striation present in the whole frontal area and around the antennal fossae. From other species of the M. semirufus complex known from the western part of the Mediterranean basin, only Messor bouvieri is similar due to the almost uniformly black body but differs in more evident head sculpture with longitudinal striation present in whole frontal area, around antennal fossae and above rugae on gena. The dark populations of Italian Messor minor calabricus differs in presence of several very short and sparse erect setae on the first gastral tergite, and the number of occipital setae on the head distinctly exceeding ten.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 37.1° to 37.1°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Salata et al., 2023
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
Worker
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- danaes. Messor danaes Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023: 121, figs. 15-20 (s.w.) GREECE.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Major (n = 5): HL: 1.524–1.880 (mean 1.729); HW: 1.548–1.910 (mean 1.980); SL: 1.214–1.368 (mean 1.321); EL: 0.270–0.333 (mean 0.309); WL: 1.980–2.367 (mean 2.181); MW: 0.963–1.139 (mean 1.066); PSL: 0.230–0.270 (mean 0.250); PW: 0.333–0.413 (mean 0.375); PPW: 0.412–0.524 (mean 0.475); HL/HW: 0.957–0.984 (mean 0.973); SL/HW: 0.716–0.784 (mean 0.745); WL/MW: 2.003–2.078 (mean 2.045); EL/HL: 0.175–0.186 (mean 0.179); PSL/HW: 0.130–0.154 (mean 0.141); PPW/PW: 1.237–1.307 (mean 1.266).
Colour. Whole body black, only in few of the largest major workers anterolateral corners of pronotum with dark red discoloration and frontal triangle reddish. Legs dark brown to black, only apex of trochanters, knee and ventral side of tarsi yellowish to yellowish brown, occasionally coxa partly reddish brown. Mandibles reddish to reddish brown. Antennal scapes black with yellowish brown apex, funicle usually black basally then gradually paler apically with last segments brown, sometimes whole funicle brown. Head. Subrectangular, 0.96–0.98× as long as wide, sides below eyes slightly converging anterad, above eyes subparallel then softly convex, posterior margin shallowly concave. Anterior clypeal margin straight, without median emargination, with a row of ten long marginal yellowish setae, the longest as long as the length of clypeus. Clypeus without appressed pubescence, laterally with three or four erect setae and long erect seta close to lateral margin of central plate. Surface of the clypeus irregular, with short rugae, median clypeal carinae absent, interspaces smooth and shiny. Eyes small and broadly oval, 0.5–0.6× as long as the gena. Frontal triangle shiny, impressed, with microreticulate surface and 2–4 short longitudinal striae. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending beyond frontal lobes. Frons narrow, in the narrowest part ~ 0.26× as wide as head width. Antennal fossa deep, not surrounded by semicircular striae, surface smooth or with diffused microreticulation, shiny. Head mostly smooth and shiny, only with diffused background microreticulation and very sparse minute pits, frons along frontal carinae with short striae and with very narrow and shallow median sulcus, usually with large pit behind the median sulcus, gena only close to anterior margin with short longitudinal striae, area behind eyes as smooth as rest of head, without striation. Surface covered with extremely short and sparse, hardly visible white appressed pubescence. Frontal lobes with single long erect seta, and frons behind frontal carinae with one or two long erect setae and centrally with two rows of two or three setae often broken in mature specimens. Occipital area with 6–8 (at most 10) long erect setae placed closer to median impression than in occipital corners, which are without or with single semierect setae, sides of the head, and gena without standing setae, occasionally gena with a single short standing seta. Ventral part of the head with numerous, long erect setae, partly forming a J-shaped psammophore. Antennal scape short, in frontal view almost straight only apically slightly curved, without preapical constriction, 0.72–0.78× as long as the width of the head; base of scapus moderately extended, outer angle acute, inner angle forms small obtuse lobe. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, pedicel moderately elongated, ~ 2.1× as long as wide at apex, not flattened dorsoventrally, ~ 0.75× as long as segments 2 and 3 combined and 1.3× as long as segment 2. Surface of the scape with diffused microreticulation, shiny, covered with long and sparse white subdecumbent to suberect hairs. Mandibles rounded, with deep striae, surface shiny with a few long and short yellow setae, cutting edge in large majors without teeth or with serrulate edge. Mesosoma. Moderately long, 2.0–2.1× as long as wide. Promesonotum not regularly convex in profile with pronotum slightly bulging above mesonotal plate, pronotal sides regularly rounded. Propodeum positioned lower than promesonotum, flat anteriorly then angulate posteriorly, angulation margined by short, thick carina lateral but never forms distinct spine. Pronotum anteriorly and dorsally with transverse rugae and diffusely microreticulate interspaces but shiny, sides with distinct oblique striae, and more distinctly microreticulate interspaces but shiny. Elevated dorsal plate of mesonotum mostly diffusely microreticulate, smooth and shiny, posterior part of mesonotal dorsum irregular, sides and mesopleura with sharp perpendicular rugae and strong microreticulation. Propodeum dorsally, on dorsal half of sides and on posterior face with sharp transverse rugae, in metapleural area with sharp longitudinal rugae, interspaces with diffused microreticulation only on metapleuron smooth and shiny. Vestiture and setation of mesosoma sparse, pronotum with 4–8 long, yellow erect setae, the longest with length 0.238, sides of the pronotum with a few short suberect setae, mesonotum anteriorly with four and posteriorly 6–8 long erect setae, metapleuron in posterolateral corners with short subdecumbent setae, propodeum with one or two pairs of long erect setae often broken in mature specimens. Petiole. Elongate, with long pedicel and moderately high triangular node, thin, PI 1.6–1.7, pedicel, and base of node with distinct reticulate sculpture, anterior face of node smooth and shiny, sides of node microreticulate and posterior face of node microreticulate and before the top with two or three transverse rugae. Top of petiole angular, upper margin and sides with 10–12 erect setae. Postpetiole. Rounded in profile, globular in dorsal view, 1.2–1.3× as wide as the petiole, whole surface with 14–16 long erect setae and few suberect hairs on top. Gaster. Whole surface of first tergite smooth and shiny but with marked, partly diffused background microreticulation, covered with extremely sparse and short appressed hairs, completely without erect setae; second tergite without long erect setae but usually with two short and often two additional and very short semierect setae. Legs. Moderately elongate, femora distinctly swollen centrally, tibiae moderately widened apically, mid and hind tarsi longer than tibiae. Whole surface of femora diffusely microreticulated, dorsally and laterally covered with moderately sparse and long, decumbent and subdecumbent, and ventrally semierect to erect setae. Surface of tibiae covered with sparse and long decumbent to semierect setae.
Minor (n = 5): HL: 1.003–1.254 (mean 1.104); HW: 0.981–1.238 (mean 1.074); SL: 0.913–1.060 (mean 0.965); EL: 0.222–0.251 (mean 0.229); WL: 1.405–1.730 (mean 1.530); MW: 0.667–0.828 (mean 0.728); PSL: 0.175–0.206 (mean 0.189); PW: 0.246–0.287 (mean 0.265); PPW: 0.324–0.393 (mean 0.350); HL/HW: 1.013–1.047 (mean 1.028); SL/HW: 0.856–0.931 (mean 0.901); WL/MW: 2.016–2.183 (mean 2.102); EL/HL: 0.197–0.215 (mean 0.207); PSL/HW: 0.164–0.181 (mean 0.174); PPW/PW: 1.288–1.369 (mean 1.318).
Colour. As coloured as major workers, without red discoloration on pronotum. Head. Slightly more elongated and more rounded in frontal view than in major workers, 1.01–1.05× as long as wide, softly converging anterad and posterad, behind eyes more regularly rounded, occipital margin of the head slightly convex. Clypeus as sculptured as in majors, shiny. Frons mostly smooth and shiny, without or with remnants of striae, gena without rugae only anterior margin with short striae. Mesosoma. Slightly slimmer than in majors, WL/MW ratio ~ 2.2. Pronotal surface mostly smooth and shiny or only with remnants of rugae. Sculpture of mesonotum and propodeum as in majors. Setation and vestiture of mesosoma as in majors but with lower number of setae, often pronotum without or only with two setae and mesonotum with only four erect setae. Petiole and postpetiole. As in major workers but surface with mostly reduced reticulation and rugae and with smaller numbers of erect setae. Gaster. Smoother and shinier than in majors, with microreticulation mostly diffused. Rest of characters as in major workers.
Type Material
- Holotype major worker (pin): Greece, Cyclades, Serifos, | Gyftica Helicopter Airport | loc. 1, 206 m | 37.1630, 24.4839, 08.06.2022 S.| Salata CYC131 || Collection MNHW | Formicidae | MNHW–GR03221 (MNHW).
- Paratypes: 7 major, 10 medium, 5 minor workers (pin), the same data as for holotype (MNHW).
Etymology
Named after Danae (Greek: Δανάη), an Argos princess, and mother of the hero Perseus. Based on the mythology, the oracle of Delphi announced to King Argos that his daughter’s son would kill him. Thus, the king, to escape his destiny, decided to cast Danae and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest hoping for their inevitable death. However, both survived and were washed ashore on the island of Serifos, the type locality for Messor danaes. The epithet is genitive.