Myrmica bakurianica

Myrmica bakurianica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. bakurianica
Binomial name
	Myrmica bakurianica; Arnol'di, 1970

Nothing is known about the biology of Myrmica bakurianica.

Identification

A member of the specioides complex of the scabrinodis species group. By the shape of their frontal carinae, frontal lobes and petiole workers and queens of this species are similar to those of Myrmica specioides, but by the shape of scape lobe and by the length of propodeal spines they resemble Myrmica scabrinodis. Similarly, males of M. bakurianica share features of both species; thus, by the length and pilosity of the scape they are similar to M. specioides, but have much longer standing hairs on the tibiae and tarsi of the middle and hind legs, similar to but somewhat shorter than those of the males of M. scabrinodis. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

Keys including this Species

Key to Myrmica of East Europe, West Siberia, northern Kazakhstan, Caucasus, Asia Minor, Turkmenistan and Iran

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Georgia (type locality), Russian Federation.

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

bakurianica. Myrmica pilosiscapus subsp. bakurianica Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842 (w.q.m.) GEORGIA. Raised to species: Seifert, 1988b: 22. Junior synonym of bessarabica: Radchenko, 1994e: 77; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication). Revived status as species: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 98.

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

Description

Worker

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Head longer than broad, with rounded occipital corners, sides and occipital margin weakly convex. Anterior clypeal margin broadly rounded, not prominent, without medial notch. Frontal carinae not strongly curved, frons relatively wide and frontal lobes moderately extended (similar to that of Myrmica specioides). Scape strongly angled at its base, with a narrow, but distinct horizontal lobe.

Alitrunk with convex promesonotal dorsum; promesonotal suture indistinct from above; metanotal groove distinct and deep. Propodeal spines relatively long, acute and straight, divergent (seen from above), projecting backwards at an angle ca. 45°. In profile, anterior surface of petiole concave, its dorsal surface without plate, gradually sloping posteriorly. Postpetiole shorter than high, with feebly convex dorsum. Spurs on middle and hind tibiae well developed and pectinate.

Only frons with sinuous, quite coarse longitudinal rugae, remainder parts of head dorsum with reticulation. Antennal sockets surrounded by fine concentric rugae. Clypeus with longitudinal rugae. Alitrunk with longitudinal, slightly sinuous rugae. Petiolar node with short sinuous rugae and reticulation, post petiole with longitudinally-concentric rugae. Surface between rugae on the body at most with fine microsculpture, appears shiny.

Head margins with abundant, relatively long, but subdecumbent hairs. Scape with very abundant suberect hairs. Alitrunk dorsum with numerous straight erect to suberect hairs, petiolar node with 7-9 straight long hairs and a few shorter ones, postpetiole with abundant hairs. Gaster with abundant hairs. Generally; hairs on the body quite coarse and whitish, coarser and more abundant than in related species (e.g. Myrmica specioides, Myrmica scabrinodis, Myrmica turcica etc.).

Body colour reddish-brown (not so dark, as was mentioned by Arnoldi).

Queen

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Relatively small compared to their workers, about the same size or even smaller than some (the mean HL and HW is less than that of workers). Nevertheless, they resemble the workers by the shape of the head, frontal carinae and lobes, scape, petiole and postpetiole, as well as by the general appearance of body sculpture and pilosity.

Male

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Head sides and occipital margin convex, occipital corners gradually rounded, headlength equal to width or very slightly longer; anterior clypeal margin widely rounded, not prominent and with no medial notch. Antennal scape short (similar to that of Myrmica specioides), antennae 13-jointed, antennal club 4-segmented; second funicular segment only slightly longer than the third one.

Alitrunk relatively long, scutum slightly convex, scutellum does not project dorsally above scutum when seen in profile. Propodeum with distinct but short, blunt denticles. In profile, petiole relatively long and low, with widely rounded node dorsum, its anterior surface slightly concave, not steep; postpetiole distinctly higher than long, with weakly rounded dorsum.

Head dorsum (except for clypeus) densely punctated, fine striation presents only near ocelli. Central part of scutum behind Mayrian furrows with longitudinal striation, remainder of surface smooth and shiny; scutellum with fine longitudinally-concentric rugulosity. Propleura smooth, mesopleura with fine striation, sides of propodeum rugulose. Petiolar node partly with fine striation, postpetiole smooth. Whole surface of alitrunk appears shiny.

Head margins and mandibles with long, curved erect hairs. Alitrunk, petiole, postpetiole and gaster with somewhat shorter erect to suberect hairs. Tibiae and tarsi on both anterior and posterior surfaces with long sub erect to erect hairs; the longest hairs on tibiae distinctly longer than their maximal width, those on the basitarsus more than twice longer than maximal tarsal width. Scape and 8 following funicular segments.with long hairs (however, hairs on the legs and scape shorter than those in Myrmica scabrinodis or Myrmica tulinae).

Body colour brownish-black, appendages somewhat lighter.

Etymology

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - from the name Bakuriani with the adjective suffix for nouns ica (from the Greek ικο) = belonging to, from, to indicate that it is a resident of vicinity of Bakuriani (Georgia), where the types were found.

References

Arnol'di, K. V. 1970b. Review of the ant genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the European part of the USSR. Zool. Zh. 4 49: 1829-1844 (page 1842, worker, queen, male described)

Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Dubovikoff, D.A., Yusupov, Z.M. 2017. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
Radchenko, A. G. 1994h. Survey of the species of the rubra, rugosa, arnoldii, luteola and schencki groups of the genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from central and eastern Palearctic. Zool. Zh. 73(1 11: 72-80 (page 77, Junior synonym of bessarabica)

Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789.

Seifert, B. 1988b. A taxonomic revision of the Myrmica species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caucasia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Abh. Ber. Naturkundemus. Görlitz 62(3): 1-75 (page 22, Raised to species)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Dubovikoff D. A., and Z. M. Yusupov. 2018. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 2010. Myrmica ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 790 pp.