Myrmica hecate

Myrmica hecate
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. hecate
Binomial name
Myrmica hecate Weber, 1947 Specimen Label

The nests of this species were found under stones in grasslands and in soil covered with scarce to dense vegetation. Nest temperature and humidity ranged from 24.4-28°C and 45% to 90%, respectively. Large colonies contained more than 200 workers. Alates of this species occasionally appear as late as in September in Northeast Himalaya. The altitudinal range for this species is 1300m to 3700m above mean sea level. (Bharti et al., 2016)

Identification

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - A member of the rugosa complex of the rugosa species group that most resembles Myrmica aimonissabaudiae, differing from the latter by its multidentate mandibles that have more than 10 small teeth.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Myrmica of the Himalaya and Afghanistan

Distribution

Himalaya

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality), Nepal.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Biology

This species lives at altitudes between 1300 and 3700 meters. Its ecology is unknown.

Castes

Queen, males and workers are known.

Nomenclature

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

• hecate. Myrmica smythiesi subsp. hecate Weber, 1947: 461 (w.) INDIA. Radchenko & Elmes, 2002: 42 (q.m.). Raised to species: Radchenko & Elmes, 2001a: 250. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 144.

Type Material

• Lectotype (designated by Radchenko & Elmes, 2001): worker: “India, Himalaya, Darjeeling, Botanical gardens, 6900 ft, 7.viii.09, No.8609-19, Pavia” (MCZ).
• Paralectotype (designated by Radchenko & Elmes, 2001): worker (damaged, without postpetiole and gaster), “Darjeeling, 6000 ft, 24.x.1909. No.8607-19, Brunetti” (MCZ).

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

Type Material

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Described from two workers with the Indian museum labels “sweepings in grass and low herbage, Brunetti, Darjiling, 6,000 feet, 24.1X.08, No. 8607-19” and “Botanical gardens, Darjiling, 6,900 feet, 7.viii.09, C. Pavia, No. 8609-19”. (Harvard).

Etymology

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - named for Hecate, the Greek goddess of sorcery and witchcraft.

References

• Bharti, H., Sasi, S., Radchenko, A. 2016. Biogeography and ecology of Myrmica species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Himalayan regions. Sociobiology 63, 956-975 (DOI 10.13102/sociobiology.v63i3.1145).
• Radchenko, A. G.; Elmes, G.W. 2001b. A taxonomic revision of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 from the Himalaya (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 23: 237-276 (page 250, Raised to species)
• Radchenko, A. G.; Elmes, G. W. 2002. First descriptions of the sexual forms of seven Himalayan Myrmica species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Vestn. Zool. 36(5): 35-46 (page 42, queen, male described)
• Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789.
• Weber, N. A. 1947b. A revision of the North American ants of the genus Myrmica Latreille with a synopsis of the Palearctic species. I. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 40: 437-474. (page 461, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Bharti H., S. Sasi, and A. Radchenko. 2016. Biogeography and ecology of Myrmica species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Himalayan regions. Sociobiology 63(3): 956-975.
• Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 2001. A taxonomic revision of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 from the Himalaya (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Entomologica Basiliensia 23: 237-276.
• Radchenko, A. G., and G. W. Elmes. "A taxonomic revision of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 from the Himalaya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Entomologica Basiliensia 23 (2001): 237-276.