Tapinoma subboreale

Tapinoma subboreale
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Genus:	Tapinoma
Species:	T. subboreale
Binomial name
Tapinoma subboreale Seifert, 2012 Specimen Labels

A thermophilous species, it prefers sun-exposed, sandy and gravelly ground. Noted from xerothermous grasslands, gravel quarries, light pine forests and dirty heathland. Nest were found under stones. (Borowiec and Salata 2022)

Identification

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Within Greece: The smallest species with the smallest gynes within Greek Tapinoma. Shallow, semicircular to triangular median emargination on clypeus places this species only close to Tapinoma festae but it differs distinctly in structure of male genitalia. For other distinguishing characters see comparative remarks under Tapinoma festae. Both species are separated geographically, T. festae is southern species known only from islands north to the southern Ionian Islands while T. subboreale is northern species so far not recorded from Greece. However, its confirmed presence in north Balkan countries suggests that it can occur in northern provinces of Greece.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Central European Tapinoma
• Key to Palaearctic Tapinoma
• Key to Tapinoma of Greece

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 56.87° to 41.774°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps, Seifert et al. (2024)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Georgia, Germany (type locality), Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, 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.

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Worker

Worker. Specimen code casent0914256. Photographer Michele Esposito, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0914257. Photographer Michele Esposito, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

• subboreale. Tapinoma subboreale Seifert, 2012: 143, figs. 1, 2, 4 (w.q.m.) GERMANY.

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

Description

Worker

Table 1: All data primary ratios (without RAV correction). Rather small, mean CS 699 μm. Depth of anteromedian clypeal excision 5.2% of cephalic size, much lower than in Tapinoma erraticum or Tapinoma nigerrimum but equal to Tapinoma madeirense. In general most similar to T. madeirense but the following three characters show statistically significant differences: With maximum cephalic length in visual plane, excavation of hind vertex just notable, being ± 0.43% of CS (in T. madeirense almost zero). Head and mesosoma more elongated than in T. madeirense, CL / CW 1.153, ML / CS 1.362. Using the seven characters, presented in Table 1, there was no clear clustering of workers in a PCA while a DA and LOOCV-DA resulted in error rates of 12.5 and 18.7% in 62 workers (data not shown). The univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed as highly significant difference to T. madeirense a smaller CL / CW0.75, ExOcc / CS0.75 and ML / CS0.75 (Tab. 1). For differences to T. erraticum and T. nigerrimum see Table 1.

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Very small to large, polymorphic: the largest workers: HL: 0.806-817 (mean 0.812); HW: 0.698-0.703 (mean 0.701); SL: 0.746-0.748 (mean 0.747); EL: 0.198-0.219 (mean 0.209); ML: 1.01-1.02; MW: 0.49-0.51; the smallest workers: HL: 0.635-0.671 (mean 0.649); HW: 0.527-0.556 (mean 0.543); SL: 0.590-0.632 (mean 0.614); EL: 0.160-0.167 (mean 0.162); ML: 0.75-0.79; MW: 0.39-0.40. Color. Body brown to black, gena often slightly paler than res to head, yellowish brown, antennae and legs brown, coxa often slightly paler brown than femora, in pale specimens tibiae yellowish brown, tarsi always paler than femora yellow to yellowish brown. Head. In major workers 1.1, in minor workers 1.1-1.2 times as long as wide, widest in basal 1/3 length then softly converging anterad, occipital corners rounded, occipital margin concave. Clypeus microreticulated but shiny, triangularly extended to the front, in the middle moderately emarginate to 0.18-0.25 length of clypeus, shape of emargination semicircular to slightly triangular; sides of clypeus deeply concave, posterior margin rounded, surface covered with moderately dense appressed hairs, explanate anterior margin close to median emargination with one pair of erected setae and few decumbent short setae partly extending behind margin of clypeus but usually not extending behind margins of median emargination. Head distinctly microreticulated but shiny, with moderately long and moderately dense appressed pubescence not covering head surface, erected setae absent, ventral side of head with0ut erected setae. Scape moderately elongate, in both major and minor workers 1.0- 1.1 times as long as width of head, very thin, only slightly widened from base to apex, its surface microreticulate but shiny, with short and moderately dense appressed pubescence, erected setae absent. Funicular segments elongate, thin, first segment 1.9-2.0 times as long as wide and 1.5-1.6 times as long as second segment which is 1.4-1.5 times as long as wide, the rest of funicular segments s longer than broad. Eyes big, placed in the middle of frontal surface of head, almost circular, 0.25-0.26 length of head. Mandibles long, without striation, teeth of masticatory margin gradually smaller posterad. Mesosoma. Elongate, 1.9-2.1 times as long as wide, dorsally and laterally distinctly microreticulated but shiny, sometimes sides of propodeum with slightly dull background, with short and moderately dense appressed pubescence . In lateral view pronotum and mesonotum regularly convex, propodeum forms obtuse angle, mesonotal groove moderately deep. Mesosomal dorsum lacking erected setae. Waist and gaster. Petiolar scale small, thin, hidden under protruding anterad anterior face of first gastral tergite. Gaster longer than mesosoma, tergites distinctly microreticulated sometimes tending to form transverse sculpture, surface shiny, covered with moderately long and dense appressed pubescence, first three tergites lacking erected setae, sternites with median keel. Legs. Moderately long, tibiae distinctly widened from base to apex, mid and hind tibiae with very long, sharp apical spur, first segment of tarsi longer than subsequent segments combined, surface covered with moderately long and moderately dense appressed hairs, erected setae absent, inner margin of tibiae lacking row of thorns.

Queen

Rather small, CS 836-930 μm. Depth of anteromedian clypeal excision much lower than in Tapinoma erraticum or T. nigerrimum but equal to T. madeirense. In all studied characters most similar to T. madeirense but statistically significant differences are the more elongated head, the larger distance of the inner margins of antennal fossae and the larger eye length (Tab. 2). Using the seven characters presented in Table 2, there was no clear clustering of gynes of T. subboreale sp.n. and T. madeirense in a PCA while a DA and LOOCV-DA resulted in error rates 5.1 and 15.4% in 38 gynes (data not shown). For differences to T. erraticum and T. nigerrimum see below and Table 2.

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Very small: HL: 0.802-0.873 (mean 0.839); HW: 0.825-0.889 (mean 0.858); SL: 0.730-0.799 (mean 0.764); ML: 1.50-1.54; MW: 0.89-0.94; HL/HW: 0.972-0,982 (mean 0.977); SL/HW: 0.885-0.899 (mean 0.890); ML/MW: 1.628-1.699 (mean 1.671).

Male

Absolute body size equal to Tapinoma madeirense, ML 1310-1630 μm. Anteromedian clypeal incision shallow, clearly wider than deep. With the genital in ventral view and the subgenital plate positioned in visual plane, stipal tips much less surpassing the caudal tips of the subgenital plate than in T. madeirense (dSPST 122-172 vs. 252-268 μm), the divergence of the caudal tips of the subgenital plate is much larger (SPdT 472-563 vs. 370-435 μm, compare also Figs. 3 and 4). As a result, the ratio SPdT / dSPST is much larger than in T. madeirense – 3.04-4.12 vs. 1.46-1.88. Due to extreme elongation and strong divergence of the tips of subgenital plate these are clearly visible also in dorsal aspect of the genital – there is no other Tapinoma species in Europe with a comparable morphology of the subgenital plate.

Type Material

Holotype male labelled “GER: 51.2294 °N, 11.7329°E, Weischütz-Kirche 1.7 km NE, limestone grassland, 215 m, Seifert 2002.06.14-542”, “Holotype Tapinoma subboreale Seifert}; five paratype males and five paratype workers with the same locality label and “Paratype Tapinoma subboreale Seifert” on a separate pin (1 male, 2 workers) and in ethanol (4 males, 3 workers); all material from the same nest sample; five paratype gynes labelled “GER: 50.879°N, 10.840°E, 300 m, Wanderlebener Gleiche, B. Seifert 1984.09.03” and “Paratype Tapinoma subboreale Seifert”; all material in Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.

Etymology

The species epithet is an adjective derived from Latin, meaning "below northern" – referring to the fact that the most northern Scandinavian populations are found south of the boreal zone.

References

• Arcos, J., Chaves, D., Alarcón, P., Rosado, A. 2022. First record of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894) in Portugal (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with an updated checklist of the ants from the country. Sociobiology, 69(2), e7623 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v69i2.7623).
• Arcos, J., Chaves, D., Alarcón, P., Rosado, Á. 2022. First record of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894) in Portugal (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with an updated checklist of the ants from the country. Sociobiology, 692), e7623 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v69i2.7623).
• 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., Salata, S. 2022. A monographic review of ants of Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Vol. 1. Introduction and review of all subfamilies except the subfamily Myrmicinae. Part 1: text. Natural History Monographs of the Upper Silesian Museum 1: 1-297.
• Borowiec, M.L., Borowiec, L. 2013. New data on the occurrence of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Lower Silesia and other regions of Poland. Wiadomosci Entomologiczne 32: 49-57.
• Bracko, G., Cesnik, L. 2016. First records of six ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for Slovenia. Natura Sloveniae 18(2): 39-46.
• Castracani, C., Spotti, F.A., Schifani, E., Giannetti, D., Ghizzoni, M., Grasso, D.A., Mori, A. 2020. Public engagement provides first insights on Po Plain ant communities and reveals the ubiquity of the cryptic species Tetramorium immigrans (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Insects 11, 678. (doi:10.3390/insects11100678).
• Csősz, S., Báthori, F., Gallé, L., Lőrinczi, G., Maák, I., Tartally, A., Kovács, É., Somogyi, A.Á., Markó, B. 2021. The myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: Survey of ant species with an annotated synonymic inventory. Insects 16;12(1):78 (doi:10.3390/insects12010078).
• Dekoninck, W., Ignace, D., Vankerkhoven, F., Wegnez, P. 2012. Verspreidingsatlas van de mieren van België. Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 148: 95-186.
• 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.
• Gallé, L. 2017. Climate change impoverishes and homogenizes ants’ community structure: a long term study. Community Ecology 18: 128–136 (doi:10.1556/168.2017.18.2.2).
• Glaser, F. 2016. Artenspektrum, Habitatbindung und naturschutzfachliche Bedeutung von Ameisen (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) am Stutzberg (Vorarlberg, Österreich). inatura – Forschung 34: 26 S.
• Kanizsai, O. 2014. Forms and background factors of the coexistence between colonies of Formica fusca and Camponotus vagus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in forest steppe habitats. Ph.D. thesis, University of Szeged.
• Kiran, K., Karaman, C. 2020. Additions to the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoosystema 42(18), 285-329 (doi:10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a18).
• Kirchmair, G., Friess, T. et al. 2017. Zoologischer Bericht vom Tag der Biodiversität 2017 im Naturpark Südsteiermark. Mitteilungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereines für Steiermark 147: 99–134.
• Lapeva-Gjonova, A., Antonova, V. 2022. An updated checklist of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria, after 130 years of research. Biodiversity Data Journal 10, e95599 (doi:10.3897/bdj.10.e95599).
• Lapeva-Gjonova, A., Antonova, V., Ljubomirov, T. 2021. Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountains (Bulgaria). Fauna of Sarnena Sredna Gora Mts, Part 2 ZooNotes, Supplement 10: 18-27.
• Német, E., Czekes, Z., Markó, B., Rákosy, L. 2016. Host plant preference in the protected myrmecophilous Transylvanian Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius hungarica) butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its relationship with potential ant partners. Journal of Insect Conservation 20, 765–772 (doi:10.1007/S10841-016-9907-5).
• Nemet, E., Czekes, Z., Tausan, I., Marko, B. 2012. Contribution to the knowledge of the myrmecofauna of the Cefa Nature Park (North-Western Romania). Acta Scientiarum Transylvanica Biologia 20, 61-72.
• Purkart, A., Kollár, J., Goffová, K. 2019. Fauna of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of selected sand habitats in Podunajsko Region, Slovakia. Naturae Tutela 23(1): 101-111.
• Schifani, E. (2022). The new checklist of the Italian fauna: Formicidae. Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography 37, ucl006 (doi:10.21426/b637155803).
• Schifani, E., Nalini, E., Gentile, V., Alamanni, F., Ancona, C., Caria, M., Cillo, D., Bazzato, E. 2021. Ants of Sardinia: An updated checklist based on new faunistic, morphological and biogeographical notes. Redia 104, 21–35 (doi:10.19263/redia-104.21.03).
• Seifert, B. 2012. Clarifying naming and identification of the outdoor species of the ant genus Tapinoma FÖRSTER, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Europe north of the Mediterranean region with description of a new species. Myrmecological News 16: 139-147.
• Seifert, B. 2016. Clypeal excision in Tapinoma Förster, 1850 ants is adaptive (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Contributions to Entomology 66, 125-129 (doi:10.21248/CONTRIB.ENTOMOL.66.1.125-129).
• Seifert, B., Kaufmann, B., Fraysse, L. 2024. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic species of the ant genus Tapinoma Mayr 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 5435(1), 1-74 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5435.1.1).
• Stukalyuk, S., Radchenko, A., Akhmedov, A., Reshetov, A., Netsvetov, M. 2021. Acquisition of invasive traits in ant, Crematogaster subdentata Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in urban environments. Serangga 26: 1-29.
• Tausan, I., Dauber, J., Trica, M.R., Marko, B. 2017. Succession in ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in deciduous forest clear-cuts - an Eastern European case study. European Journal of Entomology 114, 92–100 (doi:10.14411/eje.2017.013).
• Wegnez, P. 2017. Découverte de Myrmica lobicornis Nylander, 1846 et Lasius jensi Seifert, 1982, deux nouvelles espèces pour le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie153, 46–49.
• Wiezik, M., Svitok, M., Wieziková, A., Dovčiak, M. 2013. Shrub encroachment alters composition and diversity of ant communities in abandoned grasslands of western Carpathians. Biodiversity and Conservation 22, 2305–2320 (doi:10.1007/s10531-013-0446-z).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Boer P. 2019. Species list of the Netherlands. Accessed on January 22 2019 at http://www.nlmieren.nl/websitepages/specieslist.html
• 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.
• 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.
• Else G., B. Bolton, and G. Broad. 2016. Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - aculeates (Apoidea, Chrysidoidea and Vespoidea). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e8050. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e8050
• Formidabel Database
• Glaser F., A. Freitag, and H. Martz. 2012. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Münstertal (Val Müstair) – a hot spot of regional species richness between Italy and Switzerland. Gredleriana 12: 273 - 284.
• Nemet E., Z. Czekes, I. Tausan, and B. Marko. 2012. Contribution to the knowledge of the myrmecofauna of the Cefa Nature Park (North-Western Romania). Acta Scientiarum Transylvanica 20(1): 61-72.
• Seifert B. 2012. Clarifying naming and identification of the outdoor species of the ant genus Tapinoma Förster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Europe north of the Mediterranean region with description of a new species. Myrmecological News 16: 139-147.
• 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.
• Tausan I., J. Dauber, M. R. Tricia, and B. Marko. 2017. Succession in ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in deciduous forest clear-cuts – an Eastern European case study. European Journal of Entomology 114: 92-100.
• Tausan I., M. M. Jerpel, I. R. Puscasu, C. Sadeanu, R. E. Brutatu, L. A. Radutiu, and V. Giurescu. 2012. Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Sibiu County (Transylvania, Romania). Brukenthal. Acta Musei 7(3): 499-520.
• Wegnez P. 2017. Découverte de Myrmica lobicornis Nylander, 1846 et Lasius jensi Seifert, 1982, deux nouvelles espèces pour le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 153: 46-49.
• Wegnez P., and M. Fichaux. 2015. Liste actualisee des especes de fourmis repertoriees au Grand-Duche de Luxembourg (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 151: 150-165
• Wiezik M., M. Svitok, A. Wiezikova, and M. Dovciak. 2013. Shrub encroachment alters composition and diversity of ant communities in abandoned grasslands of western Carpathians. Biodivers Conserv 22: 2305–2320.