Messor ponticus

Messor ponticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Stenammini
Genus:	Messor
Species group:	structor
Species:	M. ponticus
Binomial name
Messor ponticus Steiner, Csősz, Markó, Gamisch, Rinnhofer, Folterbauer, Hammerle, Stauffer, Arthofer & Schlick-Steiner, 2018 Holotype Labels

In Greece, Messor ponticus is a lowland species, nests were observed in pine forests, roadsides in pine forests, pastures, open ruderal habitats inside villages (Salata & Borowiec, 2019).

Identification

Steiner et al. (2018) - Worker and queen. Usually darker than Messor ibericus, Messor mcarthuri, and Messor structor. Generally, body more finely sculptured than in all other species, especially head. Discrimination from M. structor and Messor muticus by shorter 1st funicular segment, by base of scape without lobe. Discrimination from all other species by reduced number of standing setae on side of head and, in some individuals, by shallower clypeal notch. Mesopleuron more regularly rugose than in all other species. Microsculpture of 1st gastral tergite similar to M. structor and M. muticus but clearly less imbricate than in M. ibericus and M. mcarthuri.

Worker. Generally larger than M. ibericus, M. structor, and M. muticus, and similarly sized as M. mcarthuri. Discrimination from all other species by postocular region of head mostly lacking costae and costulae, almost smooth and shining in major worker. For individuals difficult to discriminate from M. structor or M. muticus using qualitative morphology, morphometrics-based linear discriminant functions are available.

Queen. Larger than M. ibericus, similar in size to all other species.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 46.77° to 37.19°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Bulgaria (type locality), Romania, Türkiye, Ukraine.

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.

Biology

mtDNA: Three haplotypes of COI (1375 bp) known; (GenBank).

Nomenclature

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

• ponticus. Messor ponticus Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: 399, figs. 2, 5ab, bb, cb, db, eb, fb (w.q.m.) BULGARIA, ROMANIA, TURKEY, UKRAINE.
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 11 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype Bulgaria: viz. Strouma valley, SW Zemem, 6.x.2004, BG016 (T. Ljubomirov); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depositories: NHMW (holotype); HNHM, NHMW (paratypes).
  • Status as species: Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 46; Salata & Borowiec, 2019a: 64.
  • Distribution: Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine.

Taxonomic Notes

Salata & Borowiec (2019) (misidentification):

• As Messor muticus: Borowiec and Salata, 2012: 514 (part).
• As Messor orientalis: Borowiec and Salata, 2012: 515 (part).

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

Description

Worker and queen. Colour: Dark brown to black, gaster always blackish. Size: Large. Head: Usually finely sculptured with longitudinal, regular costae below eye level, but can be reduced in minor worker; postocular region can lack sculpture entirely, sometimes smooth and shining. Very sparse, short, erect setae on side of head and genae, sometimes lacking almost entirely. Scape: Base without lobe. Laterally directed, tooth-like processus in major worker, less distinct in minor worker. 1st funicular segment short and flattened, longer than 2nd segment, but shorter than 2nd and 3rd segment together. Clypeus: Median notch very shallow, often lacking entirely. Pronotum: Middle smooth and shining; laterally mostly regular, bended, fine costae, can be reduced to shallow microreticulation in minor worker. Mesonotum: Densely sculptured throughout; costae transverse, with punctuation amongst. Mesopleuron: Regular transverse costulae with slightly irregular, well-developed punctuation among them; costulae can be very fine even in major worker. Propodeum: Sometimes angulated even in minor worker, in major worker almost tooth-like, with bended costae. Surface of 1st gaster tergite: Base imbricate, middle smooth and shining with isolated snow-flakes-like structure. Covered with sparse, thick and long, whitish hairs, some of which decumbent or subdecumbent.

Queen: Metanotum: Densely sculptured throughout, costae transverse, punctuation amongst. Anepisternum and katepisternum: Middle smooth and shining, side with longitudinal costulae.

Male: Anepisternum: Microreticulate, but shining. Katepisternum: With longitudinal costulae; shining even if microsculpture among some costulae.

Type Material

Holotype. Bulgaria BG016 viz. Strouma valley SW Zemen; 06.10.2004 leg. T. Ljubomirov; “14759”; Holotypus ”Messor“ ”ponticus“ [on the reverse side: Top specimen design. Csősz 2016] (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna).

Paratypes: 11 workers labelled as holotype: Bulgaria BG016 viz. Strouma valley SW Zemen; 06.10.2004 leg. T. Ljubomirov (5 paratype workers: NHMW; 6 paratype workers: Hungarian Natural History Museum).

Etymology

Named for its distribution area around the Black Sea (Lat.: Pontus Euxinus).

References

• Borowiec, L., van Delft, J.P.L., van Delft, J.J.C.W., Salata, S. 2023. Five ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) new to the Greek fauna with notes on ants from Greek Thrace. Annales of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom, Entomology 32 (online 008), 1-13 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.10101028).
• Kiran, K., Karaman, C. 2020. Additions to the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoosystema 42(18), 285-329 (doi:10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a18).
• Lapeva-Gjonova, A., Antonova, V. 2022. An updated checklist of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria, after 130 years of research. Biodiversity Data Journal 10, e95599 (doi:10.3897/bdj.10.e95599).
• Salata, S., Borowiec, L. 2019. Preliminary contributions toward a revision of Greek Messor Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Turkish Journal of Zoology 43:52-67 (doi:10.3906/zoo-1809-41).
• Salata, S., Demetriou, J., Georgiadis, C., Borowiec, L. 2023. The genus Messor Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cyprus. Annales Zoologici 73(2): 215-234 (doi:10.3161/00034541anz2023.73.2.006).
• Steiner, F.M., Csősz, S., Markó, B., Gamisch, A., Rinnhofer, L., Folterbauer, C., Hammerle, S., Stauffer, C., Arthofer, W. & Schlick-Steiner, B.C. 2018. Turning one into five: Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evolution of cryptic species in the harvester ant Messor “structor”. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 127: 387–404 (doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.04.005).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2019. Preliminary contributions toward a revision of Greek Messor Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Turkish Journal of Zoology 43: 52-67.
• Steiner F. M., S. Csosz, B. Marko, A. Gamisch, L. Rinnhofer, C. Folterbauer, S. Hammerle, C. Stauffer, W. Arthofer, B. C. Schlick‐Steiner. 2018. Turning one into five: Integrative taxonomy uncovers complex evolution of cryptic species in the harvester ant Messor “structor”. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.04.005