Myrmica nitida

Myrmica nitida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. nitida
Binomial name
	Myrmica nitida; Radchenko & Elmes, 1999 Specimen Label

Myrmica nitida is distributed in alpine zone of Northwest Himalaya. The nests are located under stones in grasslands with scattered Juniper and Rhododendron, with ground cover of herbs and shrubs. The recorded nest temperature and humidity was 23.6°C and 89%, respectively. The altitudinal range for this species is 2600-3600m above mean sea level (Bharti et al., 2016).

A colony was found living in the same habitat in Kashmir as Myrmica rhytida, at 3600 m, under a stone, on small ridge on the west side of a lake, with scattered juniper and rhododendron shrubs and a ground cover of various herbs and flowers (Philip Ward).

Identification

By the general shape of their alitrunk, workers of M. nitida are similar to species from the cachmiriensis complex of the rugosa-group, but its males have a long antennal scape. By this feature of males, M. nitida should be related to the smythiesii-group but the workers do not fit with this group, because their frontal carinae do not curve outwards and do not merge with the rugae surrounding the antennal sockets. Moreover, the workers' alitrunk appears smooth and shiny with only fine superficial striation on the sides; similarly reduced sculpture is rather rare and occurs only in a few Myrmica species (i.e. Myrmica villosa, Myrmica inucta). Thus, we consider the taxonomic position of M. nitida as uncertain. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

Keys including this Species

Key to Myrmica of the Himalaya and Afghanistan

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 34.216667° to 32.48611°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality).

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.

nitida. Myrmica nitida Radchenko & Elmes, 1999a: 35, fig. 3 (1-10) (w.q.m.) INDIA. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 205.

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

Description

Type Material

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Holotype, W, “Kashmir, 1 km NE Yehmer Pass, 34°13'N, 75°10'E, 3600 m, 06.08.1978, leg. P. Ward, acc. No 3044; alpine vegetation, under stone” (London); paratypes: 9 W from the same nest as holotype; 17 W, 4 q (alate) ,1 2 m, “Kashmir, Sanang, 2600-2750 111, leg. W. Wittmer” (London, Basle, Ward, Kiev, Elmes).

Etymology

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - M. nitida: from the Latin word nitidus = shining, to describe its generally smooth and shiny appearance.

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. 1999a. Ten new species of Myrmica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Himalaya. Vestn. Zool. 33(3): 27-46. (page 35, fig. 3 (1-10) worker, queen, male described)
Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bharti H., Y. P. Sharma, M. Bharti, and M. Pfeiffer. 2013. Ant species richness, endemicity and functional groups, along an elevational gradient in the Himalayas. Asian Myrmecology 5: 79-101.
Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 1999. Ten new species of Myrmica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Himalaya. Vestnik Zoologii 33(3): 27-46.
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. 2010. Myrmica ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 790 pp.
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.