Tapinoma insularis
Tapinoma insularis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
Genus: | Tapinoma |
Species: | T. insularis |
Binomial name | |
Tapinoma insularis Seifert, Kaufmann & Fraysse, 2024 |
Little information is available. Reported habitats are grassland, coastal sand dunes, house gardens, roadsides, sealed urban areas with little greenery. Alates were observed on 2 April.
Photo Gallery
Identification
Worker (Tab. 5, Figs. 38–40): All shape ratios given below are, in contrast to those in Tab. 5, primary ratios without RAv and all data are given as arithmetic mean ± standard deviation. Slightly smaller than Tapinoma simrothi, CS 824 ± 78 µm. Head slightly more elongated than in T. simrothi, CL/CW 1.120 ± 0.046. Postocular distance rather large, PoOc/CL 0.401 ± 0.009; excavation of hind margin of vertex smaller than in T. simrothi, ExOcc 1.10 ± 0.51%. Anteromedian clypeal excision deep and narrow, ExCly/CS 11.21 ± 0.84%, ExClyW 5.44 ± 0.72%. The edge of clypeal excision curves slightly down below the level of adjacent clypeal surface, thus appearing rather blunt. Sum of pubescence hairs and smaller setae protruding across the margin of clypeal excision including its dorsal edge slightly larger than in T. simrothi, nExCly 8.8 ± 3.7. Scape slightly shorter than in T. simrothi, SL/CS 0.954 ± 0.029. Minimum distance of the inner margins of antennal socket rings rather small, dAN/CS 0.293 ± 0.006. Eye moderately large, EL/CS 0.257 ± 0.010. Metanotal groove moderately deep, MGr/CS 3.24 ± 0.71%. Mesosoma longer than in T. simrothi and moderately wide, ML/CS 1.302 ± 0.032, MW/CS 0.640 ± 0.019. Second funiculus segment rather short, Fu2L/CS 13.42 ± 0.44%, IFu2 1.622 ± 0.106. Pubescence, seta and pigmentation characters as in T. simrothi.
The clear separation from other species of the Tapinoma simrothi group by NUMOBAT and nuDNA data was shown above.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
The species is mainly distributed, with 90% of all findings, over the islands of the Central Mediterranean Sea between 9°E and 15.5°E: Sardinia, Sicily and Isole Egadi, Lampedusa, Kerkennah, and Malta. Two geographic outliers from Abadan (30.347°N, 48.295°E) and Busher (29.839°N, 50.255°E) refer to harbor areas at the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf and may be interpreted as anthropogenous introductions—if not representing an unrecognized cryptic species. The altitudinal distribution of 25 samples is characterized by 27 ± 31 [1, 106] m.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 39.2° to 29.8°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Seifert et al., 2024
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
Palaearctic Region: Iran, Italy (type locality), Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia.
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
Flight Period
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.
- insularis. Tapinoma insularis Seifert et al., 2024: 54, figs. 38-40 (w.) ITALY (Sicily).
Type Material
- Holotype plus three paratype worker on the same pin from Sicily, labelled “ITA: 36.68176°N, 15.13684°E, Portopalo-1 km E, 46 m, D’Eustacchio 20130404-TSi25”; the sample also contained a male and a gyne; depository SMN Görlitz. If run as wild-card in a LDA considering all NUMOBAT characters, the sample is allocated with p = 0.9992 to its name bearing cluster (see above).