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Temnothorax phaetoni
| Temnothorax phaetoni | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Temnothorax |
| Species group: | graecus |
| Species: | T. phaetoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Temnothorax phaetoni Salata, Srodon & Boroweic, 2023
| |
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This species is limited to Greece where it is known from sites at an altitude 8–650 m. Workers were shaken off from herbs and shrubs in phrygana and vegetation growing along the roads and paths. Usually, the vegetation was covering arid and sandy soil. The nests were found in dry tree twigs placed under trees and bushes.
Identification
Salata, Środoń, and Borowiec (2023) - Temnothorax phaetoni differs from all remaining members of the graecus species-group by a combination of the following characters:
- low and subangulate petiolar node with dorsum straight and sloping posteriorly
- short and stout mesosoma
- yellow antennal club
- medial frons and vertex shiny and with sparse to dense rugocostulate, sculpture on vertex usually sparser than on frons
- propodeal spines short, in form of subangulate denticles
- mesosoma laterally with thick and sparse costulae and smooth to rugulose interspaces, dorsally with sparse and thick rugae with smooth to rugulose interspaces
Temnothorax phaetoni and Temnothorax mytilenes differ from the remaining members of the graecus species-group in presence of entirely yellow antennal clubs and subangulate petiolar node with straight and sloping posteriorly dorsum. While T. phaetoni differs from T. mytilenes in short and stout mesosoma, always yellow femora, medial frons, and vertex with sparse to dense rugocostulae, and short propodeal spines in form of triangular denticles.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Most likely T. phaetoni is endemic to Cyclades with presence confirmed from Naxos, Amorgos, and Andros.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 37.8° to 38.9°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Salata et al., 2023
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece (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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Worker
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- phaetoni. Temnothorax phaetoni Salata et al., 2023: 62, figs. 11-13 (w.) GREECE.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n=10): CL: 0.61 ± 0.04 (0.55–0.66); CWb: 0.49 ± 0.03 (0.43–0.55); SL: 0.44 ± 0.03 (0.38–0.5); EL: 0.13 ± 0.01 (0.11–0.16); ML: 0.69 ± 0.08 (0.55–0.81); SPST: 0.12 ± 0.01 (0.1–0.13); PEH: 0.2 ± 0.02 (0.17–0.23); PEL: 0.28 ± 0.03 (0.24–0.34); PPH: 0.18 ± 0.02 (0.14–0.2); PPL: 0.16 ± 0.01 (0.14–0.18); MW: 0.35 ± 0.04 (0.29–0.41); PEW: 0.14 ± 0.02 (0.11–0.17); PPW: 0.2 ± 0.02 (0.16–0.23); CS: 0.55 ± 0.03 (0.49–0.6); CS/SL: 1.24 ± 0.03 (1.19–1.29); CS/ML: 0.8 ± 0.05 (0.73–0.89); CS/SPST: 4.7 ± 0.31 (4.23–5.15).
Colour. Body yellow; usually head slightly darker than the rest of the body and sides posterolateral from eyes with brownish shade; first gastral tergite with wide bright brown band posteriorly. Head. Subrectangular, sides below and above eyes straight, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head straight or slightly concave. Anterior margin of clypeus distinctly convex, medial notch absent. Eyes moderate and oval. Antennal scape short, in lateral view slightly curved, gradually widening posteriorly, funiculus long, club 3-seg-mented. Scape with short and sparse costae, shiny, covered with thin, dense, decumbent to suberect setae. Mandibles rounded with thick and sparse striae, shiny. Clypeus shiny and predominantly smooth with sparse and short costulae. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep and rugulose with additional costulae that arch posterolaterally. Frontal lobes narrow, smooth. Medial frons and vertex shiny and with sparse to dense rugocostulate, sculpture on vertex usually sparser than on frons. Frons laterally, genae and sides posterolateral from eyes with sparse and thick rugocostulae with smooth to indistinctly rugulose interspaces. Sides of head with very short and sparse adpressed pubescence, sides of frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae. Mesosoma. Short and stout, distinctly arched in profile. Metanotal groove absent. Pronotum convex on sides. Propodeal spines short, in form of triangular denticles. Lateral sides of mesosoma with thick and sparse costulae and smooth to rugulose interspaces; dorsal mesosoma with weaker sculpture, with sparse and thick rugae with smooth to rugulose interspaces. Entire mesosoma with erect, pale, moderately long and thick setae. Petiole. In lateral view low, with moderately elongate peduncle, node low and with dorsum straight and sloping posteriorly, whole surface rugoreticulate. Dorsal surface with sparse, short, erect setae. Postpetiole. In lateral view regularly convex, sides rounded, on the whole surface reticulocostulate, surface appears slightly less rugose than surface of petiole. Dorsal surface with sparse, moderately long, erect setae. Gaster. Smooth and shiny, with erect, thin, pale setae. Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to 3/4 length, surface of legs covered with sparse, adpressed to decumbent hairs.
Type Material
- Holotype. 1w. (pin): GREECE, Cyclades, Naxos | vic. Zeus Cave, 650 m | 37.0341 N / 25.4991 E | 1 VII 2016, S. Salata || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02241 (MNHW).
- Paratypes. 1w. (pin), the same data as holotype (MNHW); 8w. (pin): GREECE, Cyclades, Naxos | Moni, 20 m | 37.0814 N/ 25.4932 E | 4 VII 2016, S. Salata || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02241 (MNHW, MHNG); 1w. (pin): Greece, Cyclades, Naxos, | Zeus Cave, 620 m, | 37.0345, 25.4993, 28-05- | 2022, S. Salata, CYC079 || Collection MNHW | Formicidae | MNHW-GR0354 (MNHW); 1w. (pin): Greece, Cyclades, Naxos, | Zas loc 1., 580 m, 37.0394, | 25.5105, 28-05-2022, S. | Salata, CYC082 || Collection MNHW | Formicidae | MNHW-GR03160 (MNHW); 2w. (pin): Greece, Cyclades, Naxos, | Oros Fanari loc 1., 560 m, | 37.0896, 25.5112, 29-05- | 2022, S. Salata, CYC086 || Collection MNHW | Formicidae | MNHW-GR03168 (MNHW); 3w. (pin), GREECE, Cyclades, Naxos | Lionas, 20 m | 37.1370 N/ 25.5855 E | 4 VII 2016, S. Salata || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02631 (MNHW); 4w. (pin), GREECE, Cyclades, Naxos | Aliki, 15 m | 36.9799 N/ 25.3880 E | 4 VII 2016, S. Salata || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02243 (MNHW, MHNG).
Etymology
Named after Phaethon (Ancient Greek: Φαέθων), the mythological son of Helios and Oceanid nymph Clymene, whose name can be translated as “the shining/radiant (one)” and by this refers to the bright and shining body of the new species.