Temnothorax argentipes

Temnothorax argentipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species:	T. argentipes
Binomial name
Temnothorax argentipes (Wheeler, W.M., 1928)

This species is known from the type series, a series of workers and a queen. Nothing is known about the biology of Temnothorax argentipes.

Identification

Radchenko (2004) - T. argentipes is most similar to Temnothorax nassonovi and differs from it by the shape of the petiole, which has a very long anterior peduncle (PI > 1.60 vs. < 1.30) and a petiolar node with narrowly rounded dorsum; by the different sculpture of the head dorsum: frons with quite coarse longitudinal, slightly sinuous rugae, remaining parts of the head dorsum coarsely reticulate, surface between the rugae not coarsely but densely punctate (in T. nassonovi the head dorsum is finely striated and densely punctate.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Temnothorax of mainland China

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 39.019167° to 39.019167°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (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.

Nomenclature

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

• argentipes. Leptothorax argentipes Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 25 (w.q.) CHINA.
  • [Unjustified emendation to argentipex by Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 55 (footnote).]
  • Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.
  • Status as species: Radchenko, 1994d: 153 (in key); Radchenko, 1996c: 18; Radchenko, 2004: 121; Zhou, et al. 2010: 11 (in key).

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

Type Material

Radchenko (2004) - 5 workers and 1 queen, syntypes, “near Ausu, Foochow (Silvestri)”, “M.C.Z. Type 4–6 71023”, “Syntypes Leptothorax argentipes WHEELER” (Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
• Qian, Y.-H., Xu, Z.-H. 2024. Taxonomy of the ant genera Leptothorax Mayr, 1855 and Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of China with descriptions of twenty-eight new species and a key to the known Chinese species. European Journal of Taxonomy 936, 1-97 (doi:10.5852/ejt.2024.936.2569).
• Radchenko, A. 2004. A review of the ant genera Leptothorax Mayr and Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the Eastern Palaearctic. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 50(2):109-137. (page 121, figs. 26, 27 see also)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1928c. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in China. Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. Agrar. R. Sc. Super. Agric. 22: 3-38 (page 25, worker, queen described)
• Zhou, S., Huang, J., Yu, D., Liu, Z. 2010. Eight new species and three newly recorded species of the ant genus Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Chinese mainland, with a key. Sociobiology. 56(1):7-26.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Cheng D., Z. Chen, and S. Zhou. 2015. An analysis on the ant fauna of Jinzhongshan Nature Reserve in Gunagxi, China. Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition 33(3): 129.137.
• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Skarbek C. J., M. Noack, H. Bruelheide, W. Hardtle, G. von Oheimb, T. Scholten, S. Seitz, M. Staab. 2019. A tale of scale: plot but not neighbourhood tree diversity increases leaf litter ant diversity. Journal of Animal Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13115
• Zhou S., J.; Huang, D. Yu, and Z. Liu. 2010. Eight new species and three newly recorded species of the ant genus Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Chinese mainland, with a key. Sociobiology 56:(1): 7-26