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Myrmica babiensis
| Myrmica babiensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Myrmicini |
| Genus: | Myrmica |
| Species: | M. babiensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrmica babiensis García, Cuesta-Segura & Espadaler, 2024 | |
M. babiensis is a workerless inquiline. At present, it is only known from montane pastures, between 1363 and 1620 m a.s.l. in five localities of the “Babia and Luna Natural Park” on the south side of the Cantabrian Mountains, NW Iberian Peninsula (Fig. 11). Two gynes of M. babiensis were found in October 2011 inside a Myrmica aloba nest. The mixed colony was found under the layer of moss covering a stone in the middle of a meadow on a steep hillside (Fig. 17). The nest was not fully excavated, but about one hundred workers were captured. After the stereomicroscope inspection, none of the collected workers was found to bear parasitic characters. Further research will be needed to confirm whether M. babiensis is a workerless species or whether the presence of workers is restricted to some populations, like in Myrmica hirsuta (Radchenko and Elmes 2010).
| At a Glance | • Workerless Inquiline |
Photo Gallery
Identification
Myrmica babiensis is differentiated from Myrmica kabylica, Myrmica lemasnei and Myrmica karavajevi by the smaller body size of the later species, with a mesosoma length between 1.16–1.44 mm (Radchenko & Elmes, 2003) versus 1.65–1.92 in M. babiensis (Table 1), and the lack of a collar-like ridge in the posterior occipital margin in M. babiensis.
The shape of the scape, without caudal lobe, differentiates M. babiensis from Myrmica laurae, Myrmica hirsuta and Myrmica bibikoffi. Moreover, compared with M. hirsuta, M. babiensis is more hairy and presents a less massive petiole. Also, the postpetiole is more projected ventrally in M. babiensis. Regarding M. bibikoffi, it could be confused with M. babiensis in the field since both species have a big size and are very hairy. However, M. babiensis can be differentiated from the former one by its smaller frontal and scape indexes and its wider postpetiole (Table 1).
The species that most closely resembles M. babiensis is M. laurae, as both species share the same kind of pilosity in the eyes, the curved shape of the scape, and have more similar biometry (Table 1). Nevertheless, M. babiensis does not show any trace of a scape lobe, and the general sculpture in the body is heavier, especially in the head. Moreover, M. laurae also presents a more developed parasite syndrome, being less robust. This is particularly evident in the head, which shows a more rounded shape and more protuberant ocelli. Besides, M. babiensis is larger and has relatively wider postpetiole.
Since the laurae species group has been defined based on male morphology (Radchenko and Elmes 2010) and this caste is currently unknown for M. babiensis, we have decided to refrain from assigning the new species to any species group until the males can be found and described.
Garcia et al. (2024), Table 1. Biometric measurements and indexes following Radchenko and Elmes (2010) of M. babiensis, M. aloba (own data, in microns, mean ± standard deviation (minimum; maximum)) and other big sized parasitic Myrmica gynes (minimum–maximum, data taken from Radchenko and Elmes, 2003).
| Species | Myrmica babiensis n=19 |
Myrmica aloba n=14 |
Myrmica laurae n=14 |
Myrmica bibikoffi n=2 |
Myrmica hirsuta n=36 |
Myrmica myrmicoxena n=6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HL | 1155.5 ± 34.9 (1078; 1212) |
1321.8 ± 28 (1278; 1361) |
950–1090 | 1240–1400 | 1000–1180 | 1020–1050 |
| HW | 1070.6 ± 37.3 (979; 1137) |
1185.1 ± 32.9 (1145; 1228) |
870–1050 | 1220–1340 | 880–1100 | 940–970 |
| SL | 753.1 ± 25 (712; 792) |
942.8 ± 26.1 (888; 988) |
680–790 | 960–1000 | 720–880 | 670–700 |
| AL | 1802.6 ± 70.1 (1650; 1925) |
2015.4 ± 67.8 (1925; 2131) |
1500–1850 | 2140 | 1620–2000 | 1520–1580 |
| HL/HW | 1.077 ± 0.034 (1.033; 1.186) |
0.993 ± 0.021 (0.962; 1.025) |
- | - | - | - |
| FW/HW | 0.457 ± 0.022 (0.429; 0.516) |
0.349 ± 0.015 (0.326; 0.376) |
0.41–0.49 | 0.35–0.39 | 0.39–0.46 | 0.45–0.46 |
| FLW/FW | 1.059 ± 0.015 (1.033; 1.091) |
1.216 ± 0.042 (1.144; 1.274) |
1.05–1.17 | 1.26–1.37 | 1.10–1.30 | 1.16–1.21 |
| SL/HL | 0.652 ± 0.025 (0.605; 0.690) |
0.713 ± 0.021 (0.677; 0.754) |
0.70–0.75 | 0.71–0.77 | 0.68–0.81 | 0.65–0.66 |
| SL/HW | 0.703 ± 0.024 (0.660; 0.746) |
0.708 ± 0.022 (0.669; 0.747) |
0.74–0.80 | 0.79–0.80 | 0.73–0.84 | 0.71–0.72 |
| PL/PH | 1.006 ± 0.066 (0.870; 1.110) |
1.294 ± 0.069 (1.208; 1.421) |
- | - | - | - |
| PPW/HW | 0.759 ± 0.043 (0.700; 0.888) |
0.462 ± 0.019 (0.434; 0.497) |
0.62–0.69 | 0.60–0.61 | 0.57–0.72 | 0.56–0.57 |
| ESL/HW | 0.321 ± 0.0367 (0.258; 0.382) |
0.286 ± 0.012 (0.259; 0.301) |
0.35–0.41 | 0.30–0.35 | 0.24–0.36 | 0.18–0.23 |
| ESD/ESL | 1.977 ± 0.203 (1.594; 2.314) |
1.471 ± 0.073 (1.341; 1.559) |
- | - | - | - |
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 43.0° to 42.9°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Garcia et al., 2024
Distribution based on type material
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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- babiensis. Myrmica babiensis García et al., 2024: 118 (q.) SPAIN (Leon).
Type Material
- Holotype: SPAIN, 1 gyne labelled “España: Castilla y León: León: La Cueta de Babia (Cabrillanes), 43°01’N, 6°11’W, 1620 m, 9-IX / 1-X-2010, trampa de caída. A.D. Cuesta-Segura, S. García Tejero, O. Pérez Fuertes, N. Pérez Hidalgo & M. Vaílez de Abajo leg.” (abbreviated below as ADC-S et al. leg.) // “MNCN_Ent 375518” // Red label “Holotipo Myrmica babiensis García, Cuesta-Segura & Espadaler, des. 2023” (MNCN).
- Paratypes: All carrying a red label with “Paratipo Myrmica babiensis García, Cuesta-Segura & Espadaler, des. 2023”, all dry mounted specimens from the following localities: Spain: Castilla y León: León: La Cueta de Babia (Cabrillanes), 43°01’N, 6°11’W, 1620 m, 1 gyne, 1-VIII / 20-VIII-2010 (ADC-SPC); 1 gyne, 20-VIII / 9-IX-2010 (XEPC); 4 gynes, 9-IX / 1-X-2010 (MiIZPAN 2/2024/1, SMNG, ADC-SPC, FGPC), all in pitfall traps, ADC-S et al. leg.; La Riera de Babia (Cabrillanes), 42°58’N, 6°08’W, 1559 m, 6 gynes, 10-IX / 1-X-2010, in pitfall traps, ADC-S et al. leg. (MCNB 2023-1049, MCNB 2023-3997, MNCN_Ent 375519, MNCN_Ent 375520, ADC-SPC, FGPC); Peñalba de Cilleros (Cabrillanes), 42°55’N, 6°09’W, 1535 m, 1 gyne, 1-VIII / 21-VIII-2010 (MiIZPAN 2/2024/2); 2 gynes, 21-VIII / 12-IX-2010 (SMNG, FGPC); 1 gyne, 12-IX / 2-X-2010 (MNCN_Ent 375521), all in pitfall traps, ADC-S et al. leg.; Sena de Luna, 42°55’N, 5°59’W, 1370 m, 2 gynes, 2-VIII / 22-VIII-2010 (MNCN_Ent 375522, MCNB 2023-1050); 1 gyne, 22-VIII / 12-IX-2010 (XEPC); 2 gynes, 12-IX / 2-X-2010 (ADC-SPC, FGPC), all in pitfall traps, ADC-S et al. leg.; 1362 m, 2 gynes and 2 host workers from one nest of M. aloba, 3-X-2011, ADC-S leg. The four in one single pin (XEPC); Riolago de Babia (San Emiliano), 42°54’N, 6°05’W, 1615 m, 2 gynes, 22-VIII / 10-IX-2010, in pitfall traps, ADC-S et al. leg. (MCNB 2023-3996, MNCN_Ent 375523).
To summarize, the type specimens are deposited in the following collections: 2 gynes in MiIZPAN, 4 gynes in MNCB, 6 gynes (holotype included) in MNCN, 2 gynes in SMNG, 4 gynes in ADC-SPC, 4 gynes in FGPC and 4 gynes in XEPC.