Proformica epinotalis

Proformica epinotalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Proformica
Species:	P. epinotalis
Binomial name
Proformica epinotalis Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 Specimen Labels

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 47.78° to 36.105°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Kazakhstan (type locality), Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan.

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

This species is a host for the ant Rossomyrmex proformicarum (a slave maker) (D'Ettorre & Heinze, 2001; Ruano et al., 2013; de la Mora et al., 2021).

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code antweb1008083. Photographer Elham Kashani, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ULM, Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

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Phylogeny

Proformica	Proformica nasuta Proformica korbi Proformica ferreri Proformica longiseta Proformica epinotalis Proformica muusensis Proformica buddhaensis Proformica mongolica

Relationships of selected Proformica species based on Zhu et al. (2022).

Nomenclature

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

• epinotalis. Proformica epinotalis Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927b: 27, figs. 2-4 (s.w.) KAZAKHSTAN. Kupyanskaya, 1990: 206 (q.m.). See also: Dlussky, 1969a: 226.

Taxonomic Notes

Paknia, Radchenko, and Pfeiffer (2010) reported Proformica epinotalis from Iran. There is a syntype of that species at CASENT0912272 and an Iran specimen on ANTWEB1008083. The latter is smaller than the syntype and has a distinctly narrower head. According to Galkowski, Lebas, Wegnez, Lenoir, and Blatrix (2017) the taxonomy of the genus is confused and in need of revision. This reiterates Agosti (1994) and the situation is compounded by the dimorphic workers common to the genus.

References

• Agosti, D. 1994. The phylogeny of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with the description of a new genus. Systematic Entomology 19, 93–117.
• Borowiec, L. & Salata, S. 2013. Ants of Greece – additions and corrections (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 24, 335-401.
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Bračko, G. 2019. New data on the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Azerbaijan. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 15, 165–175 (doi:10.23885/181433262019151-165175).
• de la Mora, A., Sankovitz, M., Purcell, J. 2020. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as host and intruder: recent advances and future directions in the study of exploitative strategies. Myrmecological News 30: 53-71 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_030:053).
• Dlussky, G. M. 1969a. Ants of the genus Proformica Ruzs. of the USSR and contiguous countries (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zool. Zh. 48: 218-232 (page 226, see also)
• 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.
• Galkowski, C., Lebas, C., Wegnez, P., Lenoir, A., & Blatrix, R. 2017. Redescription of Proformica nasuta (Nylander, 1856) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using an integrative approach. European Journal of Taxonomy 290, 1-40.
• Kupyanskaya, A. N. 1990a. Ants of the Far Eastern USSR. Vladivostok: Akademiya Nauk SSSR, 258 pp. (page 206, queen, male described)
• Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, N. N. 1927b. Zur Kenntnis der Gattung Proformica Ruzsky. Soc. Entomol. Stuttg. 42: 26-28 (page 27, figs. 2-4 soldier, worker described)
• Paknia, O., Radchenko, A.,, & Pfeiffer, M. 2010. New records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Asian Myrmecology 3, 29–38.
• Pashaei Rad, S., Taylor, B., Torabi, R., Aram, E., Abolfathi, G., Afshari, R., Borjali, F., Ghatei, M., Hediary, F., Jazini, F., Heidary Kiah, V., Mahmoudi, Z., Safariyan, F., Seiri, M. 2018. Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 64, 145-159 (doi:10.1080/09397140.2018.1442301).
• Ruano, F., Sanllorente, O., Lenoir, A., Tinaut, A. 2013. Rossomyrmex, the slave-maker ants from the arid steppe environments. Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2013, 1–7 (doi:10.1155/2013/541804).
• Snegovaya, N., Shigayev, C. 2021. A checklist of the ants (Insecta, Formicidae) of Azerbaijan Republic. Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics 17(2): 179-207 (doi:10.22067/ijab.2022.67343.1000).
• Zhu, W., Wu, L., Duan, L., Xu, S. 2022. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Shaanxi Province, China, with one new species of genus Proformica Ruzsky, 1902, Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 25, 101875 (doi:10.1016/j.aspen.2022.101875).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Agosti D. 1994. The phylogeny of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with the description of a new genus. Systematic Entomology 19: 93-117.
• Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
• Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
• Dlussky G. M., O. S. Soyunov, and S. I. Zabelin. 1990. Ants of Turkmenistan. Ashkabad: Ylym Press, 273 pp.
• 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.
• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Paknia O., and M. Pfeiffer. 2014. Niche-based processes and temporal variation of environment drive beta diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in dryland ecosystems of Iran. Myrmecological News 20: 15-23.
• Paknia, O., A. G. Radchenko, and M. Pfeiffer. "New records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran." Asian Myrmecology 3, no. 29-38 (2010).
• Ran H., and S. Y. Zhou. 2013. Checklist of Chinese Ants: Formicomorph Subfamilies ( Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (III). Journal of Guangxi Normal University : Natural Science Edition 31(1): 104-111.
• Reznikova Z. I. 2003. Distribution patterns of ants in different natural zones and landscapes in Kazakhstan and West Siberia along a meridian trend. Euroasian Entomological Journal 2(4): 235-342.
• Wu wei, Li Xiao Mei, Guo Hong. 2004. A primary study on the fauna of Formicidae in Urumqi and its vicinities. Arid Zone Research 21(2): 179-182