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Temnothorax similis
| Temnothorax similis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Temnothorax |
| Species group: | nylanderi |
| Species complex: | angustifrons |
| Species: | T. similis |
| Binomial name | |
| Temnothorax similis Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015
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Nothing is known about the biology of Temnothorax similis.
Identification
Csösz et al. (2015) - A member of the angustifrons species-complex. This species can be distinguished from other species belonging to different species complexes by its inconspicuously sculptured or smooth head and/or its shorter propodeal spines (SPST/CS). Temnothorax similis differs from the superficially similar Temnothorax schoedli by non-overlapping ranges of PEH/CS and NOH/CS ratios on the level of nest sample means.
Though workers of T. similis differ from those of other species in this complex by having a wider frons (FRS/CS) than Temnothorax angustifrons, a lower petiole (NOH/CS) than Temnothorax lucidus, and longer propodeal spines (SPST/CS) than Temnothorax subtilis (see S4 Table), nest sample means of these characters slightly overlap between the latter two species and T. similis. In order to separate T. similis from T. angustifrons, T. lucidus, and T. subtilis a discriminant function with reduced character number (D4 = 0.0492_SPST -0.1037_PEH +0.0547_ML -0.0417_CL +2.2655) is provided, that yields 98.6% classification success rate for single individuals.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
This species is known from South and Central Anatolia, Turkey. According to the material available in this study, this species seems to occur in disjunct areas with a 600 km wide gap between the two known sites. (Csösz et al. 2015)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 38.0005° to 36.305°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Türkiye (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
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0906022. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by PCAS, Andreas Schulz Collection. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- similis. Temnothorax similis Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015: 23, figs. 11A-C (w.) TURKEY.
- [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501.]
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Body color: yellow; brown. Body color pattern: mesosoma, antenna and legs, waist and anterior region of 1st gastral tergite lighter than head dorsum and posterior region of gaster. Antenna color pattern: clava concolorous funicle. Absolute cephalic size: 505–635 μm (m = 571, nlot = 13). Cephalic length vs. Maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.145–1.233 (m = 1.183). Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.371–0.398 (m = 0.386). Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture dispersed forked costate, ground sculpture inconspicuous areolate. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: feebly convex. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with feeble areolate ground sculpture. Median region of antennal rim vs. frontal carina in frontal view structure: not fully overlapped by frontal carina. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen count: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.245–0.270 (m = 0.263). Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.352–0.369 (m = 0.361). Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons count: present; absent. Longitudinal carinae on medial region of frons shape: forked. Smooth median region on frons count: present. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.775–0.830 (m = 0.802). Facial area of the scape absolute setal angle: 0–15°. External area of the scape absolute setal angle: 10–15°; 35–40°. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: smooth. Median carina of clypeus count: present. Lateral carinae of clypeus count: present. Median anatomical line of propodeal spine angle value to Weber length in lateral view: 47–52°. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.220–0.267 (m = 0.245). Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.261–0.290 (m = 0.277). Maximum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPWI/CS): 0.299–0.347 (m = 0.321). Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.291–0.326 (m = 0.321). Maximum mesosoma width vs. absolute cephalic size (MW/CS): 0.606–0.641 (m = 0.624). Metanotal depression count: present. Metanotal depression shape: deep. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: inconspicuous areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture dispersed costate. Mesopleuron sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Metapleuron sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Frontal profile of petiolar node contour line in lateral view shape: concave. Dorsal profile of petiolar node contour line angle value to frontal profile of petiole contour line in lateral view: 95–105°. Anterodorsal rim of petiole count: absent medially. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Dorso-caudal petiolar profile contour line in lateral view shape: straight; concave. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent.
Type Material
Holotype: TUR:512 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (Hungarian Natural History Museum, CASENT0914691), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-512].
Paratypes: TUR:512 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (2## HNHM), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107- 512]; TUR:515 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (4## HNHM), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-515]; TUR:520 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (3## HNHM, 1# California Academy of Sciences), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-520]; TUR:547 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 10 km NW. Hassa, 36.8459 N, 36.4330 E, 1500mH, 08.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (4## HNHM), [TUR:Hassa-10NW-20111108-547]; TUR:552 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 10 km NW. Hassa, 36.8459 N, 36.4330 E, 1500mH, 08.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (3## HNHM, 2## CAS), [TUR:Hassa-10NW-20111108-552].
Etymology
Species epithet (Latin: similis m, f = similar) refers to the superficial similarity of this species to T. schoedli.
References
- Csösz, S., Heinze, J. and Mikó, I. 2015. Taxonomic synopsis of the Ponto-Mediterranean ants of Temnothorax nylanderi species-group. PLoS ONE. 10(11):62pp. e0140000 (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140000).
- Kiran, K., Karaman, C. 2020. Additions to the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoosystema 42(18), 285-329 (doi:10.5252/zoosystema2020v42a18).
- Salata, S., Borowiec, L. 2019. Preliminary division of not socially parasitic Greek Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with a description of three new species. ZooKeys 877: 81-131 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.877.36320).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Csősz S, Heinze J, and I. Mikó. 2015. Taxonomic synopsis of the Ponto-Mediterranean ants of Temnothorax nylanderi species-group. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0140000. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140000