Myrmica hlavaci

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Myrmica hlavaci
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Myrmicini
Genus: Myrmica
Species group: pachei
Species: M. hlavaci
Binomial name
Myrmica hlavaci
Radchenko & Elmes, 2009

Nothing is known about the biology of Myrmica hlavaci.

Identification

A member of the pachei group that most resembles Myrmica phalacra. It differs from the latter species by the densely rugulose head dorsum, sculpture of propodeal dorsum, shorter scape, etc. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

  • Zhong et al. (2024), Fig. 5. Diagnostic characters of Myrmica inermis and clustering based on Ward’s method from the M. pachei-group. Values indicate the presence (1) or absence (0) of a character. Abbreviations: A, head extensively punctated; B, dense rugae between frontal carinae; C, posterior cephalic margin distinctly rounded; D, lateral margins of head without long suberect hairs; E, head slightly longer than broad, not elongated; F, pronotal dorsum reticulate sculpture; G, metanotal groove weak depression; H, mesopleuron with monotonous regular horizontal rugae; I, propodeal spines strongly shortened; J, petiole distinctly longer than high; K, first gastral tergite smooth.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Sichuan Province, China.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 31.63388889° to 31.63388889°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Known only from the worker caste.

Phylogeny

  • Zhong et al. (2024), Fig. 5. Diagnostic characters of Myrmica inermis and clustering based on Ward’s method from the M. pachei-group. Values indicate the presence (1) or absence (0) of a character. Abbreviations: A, head extensively punctated; B, dense rugae between frontal carinae; C, posterior cephalic margin distinctly rounded; D, lateral margins of head without long suberect hairs; E, head slightly longer than broad, not elongated; F, pronotal dorsum reticulate sculpture; G, metanotal groove weak depression; H, mesopleuron with monotonous regular horizontal rugae; I, propodeal spines strongly shortened; J, petiole distinctly longer than high; K, first gastral tergite smooth.

Nomenclature

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

  • hlavaci. Myrmica hlavaci Radchenko & Elmes, 2009a: 76, figs. 36-40 (w.) CHINA. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 151.

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

Description

Worker

Head longer than broad, with convex sides, straight occipital margin, and broadly rounded occipital corners; anterior clypeal margin broadly rounded, slightly prominent and not notched medially. Upper latero-ventral corners of head rounded, not pointed (seen in profile). Mandibles with 8-9 teeth. Frontal carinae feebly curved, merging with rugae that extend to the posterior head margin. not curved outwards and not merging with rugae than surround antennal sockets. Frons wide, frontal lobes not extended. Scape relatively short, shorter than head width, gradually, though distinctly, curved at the base, without any trace of lobe or carina. Alitrunk not robust, promesonotum slightly flattened (seen in profile), with barely marked promesonotal suture (seen from above). Metanotal groove distinct, wide, but shallow. Propodeal lobes rounded apically. Propodeal spines relatively short, straight, sharp, widened at the base, directed backward at an angle less than 45°. Petiole high, with very short peduncle, its anterior surface steep, almost straight, meeting the posterior one at an acute angle, dorsum of node very narrowly rounded, so that petiole is subtriangular (seen in profile). Postpetiole subgiobular. Spurs on middle and hind tibiae well developed and pectinate.

Frons with fairly dense, fine, almost straight longitudinal rugosity, numbering ≥ 20 between frontal carinae level with the eyes, only temples with fine reticulation; surface between rugae densely superficially punctated, but appearing more or less shiny (not dull). Clypeus with longitudinal rugae (medially it can be smooth) and without punctures, appearing shiny; frontal triangle smooth and shiny; mandibles longitudinally rugose.

Pornotal dorsum with irregular sinuous rugae and reticulution, its sides rugulose; mesonotal dorsum with < 15 transverse sinuous rugae: propodeal dorsum with short, slightly sinuous longitudinal rugae; mesopleura and sides of propodeum with longitudinal rugosity. Surface between rugae on alitrunk superficially sculptured, but appearing shiny. Petiole and postpetiole with short irregular rugulae and densely, though not coarsely, punctated, appearing dull. Gster smooth and shiny.

Lateral margins of head above the eyes without hairs, only genae, temples mid occipital margin with a few, quite long suberect hairs. Promesonotal dorsum with a moderate number of long erect hairs; propodeal dorsum without long hairs, or at most with a few fairly short ones; petiole with 6--8 long and a few shorter hairs. Scape with subdecumbent hairs, tibiae with decumbent pilosity only. Body colour dark reddish-brown, head and appendages somewhat darker than alitrunk.

Type Material

Holotype, w, China, Sichuan Prov., Li Xian Miyaluo Nat. Res., Danzhamu valley, 3250 m, 31°23, 902'N, 103°14, 827'E, 18-22.v.2006, leg. Sehnal and Tryzne Institute of Zoology of the Ukranian National Academy of Sciences; paratypes: 2 workers with the same label (IZK, Graham W. Elmes).

Etymology

Dedicated to the amateur entomologist Peter Hlavac of Kosice, Slovakia, who provided to us material for investigation.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Chen Z. L., S. Y. Zhou, and J. H. Huang. 2016. Seven species new to science and one newly recorded species of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 from China, with proposal of a new synonym (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ZooKeys 551: 85–128.