Tapinoma ibericum

Tapinoma ibericum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Genus:	Tapinoma
Species group:	nigerrimum
Species:	T. ibericum
Binomial name
	Tapinoma ibericum; Santschi, 1925

At a Glance

• Supercolonies

Overall biology, effect on habitat, supercoloniality, interference potential and ecological impact in the introduction area is fully comparable to Tapinoma magnum. The lower total frequency of introduction to the north is probably less a question of specific biology but more a result of the geographic spacing of the trade lines leading to invasion of preferentially only NW Europe. In northern areas of introduction, it is not only an outdoor species but also occurring as nuisance in buildings. The nest construction is largely subterranean and often very extended. Nest entrances typically develop to big crater-like domes of ejected soil particles. Mounds of soil particles may be constructed at spots with a higher herb layer. Alates were observed in the nests 15 May ± 28 d [24 April, 15 June] n = 5. Knowledge on foraging is sparse. Portuguese populations began to forage in February at air temperatures of 10 °C. Morris et al. (2002) showed that T. ibericum was main predator of the Olive Moth Prays oleae (Bern.) in southern Spain but praying on egg-parasitoids of this moth may cause an opposite economic effect (Pereira et al. 2004). Alvarez et al. (2023) suggested that it may potentially contribute to control olive pests without posing a risk to other natural enemies because it is usually not a hyper-predator. Yet, the role of T. ibericum differs between the crop species and depending on local conditions. Major damage by a huge supercolony (SaNo 579) is documented in a 200-ha walnut plantation in Herdade da Toula / Portugal. According to B. Leblanc (pers. comm. 2021) the damage was performed by (1) eating buds of young trees, (2) injuring young sprouts of older trees and imbibing their sap, (3) reducing pollination of fruits by eating pollen and by walking on flowers (which prevents the pollen to penetrate the pistil correctly), (4) fostering aphids, (5) killing predators of aphids and (6) extinguishing other ants. (Seifert et al., 2024)

Identification

A member of the Tapinoma nigerrimum complex.

Seifert et al. (2024):

Worker (Tab. 3): All shape ratios given below are, in contrast to those in Tab. 3, primary ratios without RAv and all data are given as arithmetic mean ± standard deviation. Large, CS 977 ± 165 µm. Head broad CL/CW 1.032 ± 0.063. Postocular distance rather small and excavation of hind margin of vertex large, PoOc/CL 0.373 ± 0.010, ExOcc 2.25 ± 1.03%. Anteromedian clypeal excision deeper than in related supercolonial species and rather wide, ExCly/CS 10.47 ± 0.36%, ExClyW 6.53 ± 0.75%. The posterior, semicircular end of clypeal excision forms a concave plane delimited by a sharp ventral and a blunt dorsal edge. Sum of pubescence hairs and smaller setae protruding across the margin of clypeal excision including its dorsal edge very large, nExCly 18.80 ± 7.2. Scape moderately long, SL/CS 0.949 ± 0.047. Minimum distance of the inner margins of antennal socket rings smaller than in related supercolonial species, dAN/CS 0.292 ± 0.006. Eye moderately long, EL/CS 0.249 ± 0.016. Metanotal groove moderately deep, MGr/CS 3.25 ± 0.85 %. Mesosoma rather long and wide, ML/CS 1.273 ± 0.035, MW/CS 0.630 ± 0.019. Second funiculus segment shorter than in the supercolonial related species, Fu2L/CS 14.15 ± 0.53%, IFu2 1.898 ± 0.100. Pubescence, seta and pigmentation conditions as in Tapinoma magnum.

Male (Fig. 6): the separation from the other species of the T. nigerrimum group by simple eye inspection of the genital appears difficult. However, the species can be separated by morphometry of the genital (Seifert et al. 2014).

Keys including this Species

Key to Palaearctic Tapinoma

Distribution

Seifert et al. (2024) - The natural range is apparently restricted to the Iberian Peninsula. Populations north of the Pyrenees in France, Germany, the Netherlands and south England (Isle of Wight) have been founded by anthropogenous introduction with plant material from Iberia. The northernmost known site, a supermarket in Burgdorf / Germany, is situated at 52.45°N and 10.00°E. Fifty-four nest sites in Iberia were situated at elevations of 623 ± 264 [7, 1264] m.

The introduced colony of Tapinoma ibericum at the Ventnor Botanical Garden, Isle of Wight, UK, is still going strong as of October, 2020. It was expected that it would die out during its first winter a couple of years ago, but workers are still running about all over the path in the bright sunshine (B. Bolton).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 52.45° to 31.216667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps, Seifert et al. (2024)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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

Seifert et al. (2017) - There is almost nothing known on the biology of this species except for the fact that it may form large supercolonies. Tapinoma ibericum apparently has a weaker tramp species potential than Tapinoma magnum. Only one anthropogenous introduction is known so far: A mature polydomous colony was found in the Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight in 2016 which was probably founded during the import of several large plants from southern Spain some ten years ago (C. Pope, pers. comm.). Apart from this finding, T. ibericum seems to be restricted to its native range in Iberia south of 41° N – an area probably not exceeding 250,000 km2. It is unknown if T. ibericum is abundant along the shore line of southern Iberia because there was no systematic sampling at coastal sites. The phenology of sexual production, as derived from our poor data, seems to be comparable to the situation in the other species: 15 May ± 28 d [24 April – 15 June] n = 5. Low foraging temperatures are apparently also typical for this species: according to observation of the senior author in Portugal 14 February 2016, it was the only ant species showing surface activity at air temperatures of 10 °C.

Flight Period

				X	X
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Source: Seifert et al., 2024.

Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.

Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

ibericum. Tapinoma nigerrima var. ibericum Santschi, 1925g: 349 (m.) SPAIN.
- Junior synonym of nigerrimum: Collingwood, 1978: 71.
- Status as species: Seifert et al., 2017: 123.

Seifert et al. (2017) - Type male labelled "Type", "Tapinoma nigerrimum Nyl. v ibericum Sants. type" [Santschi's handwriting], "POZUELO La Fuente" and "ANTWEB CASENT 0911578", NHM Basel. The type was remounted and the genital prepared in an in situ position.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Baroni Urbani C. 1977. Katalog der Typen von Formicidae (Hymenoptera) der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Basel (2. Teil). Mitt. Entomol. Ges. Basel (n.s.) 27: 61-102.
Diniz, M. A. "Estado actual do conhecimento dos himenópteros de Portugal." Memorias e Estudos do Museu Zoologico da Universidade de Coimbra 259 (1959): 1-42.
Seifert B. D. D'Eustacchio, B. E. Kaufmann, M. Centorame, and M. Modica. 2017. Four species within the supercolonial ants of the Tapinoma nigerrimum complex revealed by integrative taxonomy (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 24: 123-144.
Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.