Temnothorax cypridis

Temnothorax cypridis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species group:	bulgaricus
Species:	T. cypridis
Binomial name
	Temnothorax cypridis; (Santschi, 1930)

Less thermophilous. Most workers were shaken off into the entomological umbrella from Mediterranean bush, predominantly Pistacia and Rubus, inside pine forests or nearby streams, or growing around dams or shadow roadsides. A few specimens were shaken off into the entomological umbrella from herbs on a sowed field next to the road. Nests could not be found. (Salata et al., 2024)

Photo Gallery

Salata et al. (2024), Figs. 19, 20. Worker of Temnothorax cypridis (specimen from Evretou Dam). 19, dorsal. 20, lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).
Salata et al. (2024), Figs. 21, 22. Worker of Temnothorax cypridis. 21, microworker lateral (scale bar = 1 mm). 22, head (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

Identification

Salata et al. (2024) - This taxon was described from Cyprus: Limassol as a trinome Leptothorax bulgaricus cypridis Santschi, 1930 and further treated as a subspecies of Temnothorax bulgaricus (Bolton 1995: 237). We have examined the syntype of Leptothorax bulgaricus cypridis preserved in the Basel Museum (AntWeb.org, CASENT0912914) and numerous specimens from Cyprus conspecific with the syntype. In our opinion, this taxon represents a distinct species, which differs well from Temnothorax bulgaricus in a shorter setation of body. In T. bulgaricus, erect setae on the head, mesosoma, and gaster are very long, the longest setae on mesosoma are longer than the eye diameter while in T. cypridis dorsal setae of mesosoma are short, distinctly shorter than the eye diameter (mean ratio length of setae/eye diameter 0.71, in T. bulgaricus 1.06). The third member of the T. bulgaricus group known from the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin, Temnothorax nadigi, differs in distinctly bicolored body, with a head predominantly distinctly darker colored than mesosoma, from yellowish brown to dark brown. Other Cypriot species of Temnothorax well differ from T. cypridis in uniformly yellow antennae and usually well-marked propodeal spines. Only Temnothorax aeolius has an antennal club similarly darkened, partly brown to black, but differs in well-marked propodeal spine with mean PSL/HW 0.266 (in T. cypridis the spine is reduced to very small, triangular tubercle or spine with mean PSL/HW 0.225), shorter petiole with mean PI 1.481 (in T. cypridis 1.505), and in more globular petiolar node, without lateral carinae.

Keys including this Species

Key to the Cypriot Temnothorax species

Distribution

Salata et al. (2024), Fig. 62. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax nikoklesi (upper map) and T. cypridis.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 35.2° to 34.7°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Salata et al., 2024

Distribution based on type material

Cyprus (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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

cypridis. Leptothorax bulgaricus st. cypridis Santschi, 1930c: 266 (w.q.) CYPRUS.
- Status as species: Salata et al., 2024: 26.

Description

References

Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
Salata, S., Demetriou, J., Georgiadis, C., Borowiec, L. 2024. The genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cyprus. Zootaxa 5434(1), 1-69 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5434.1.1).
Santschi, F. 1930c. Trois notes myrmécologiques. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 70: 263-270 (page 266, worker, queen described)