Tetramorium staerckei
| Tetramorium staerckei | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Tetramorium |
| Species: | T. staerckei |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetramorium staerckei Kratochvíl, 1944
| |
Soil nests often under stones, sometimes covered with grass; small soil mounds exist.
Contents
Identification
A member of the Tetramorium caespitum complex. The species can be determined with a discriminant analysis of a set of morphological measurements. See Wagner et al. (2017) and https://webapp.uibk.ac.at/ecology/tetramorium/
Distribution
Wagner et al. (2017) - Pannonian zone, Balkans, southern Russia, Central Asia.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 49.5297° to 39.21687°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Bulgaria, Hungary (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.
Biology
Wagner et al. (2017) - Thermophilic, different from all species except Tetramorium breviscapus. Avoids editerranean areas, but occurs on Black Sea coast. Typical European habitats are semi-dry and dry grasslands, semi-arid pastures, road embankments, fallow vineyard, rock heaps, sand dunes; exceptionally urban areas. Might be more salt-tolerant than other species, as it was mentioned under "Tetramorium cf. caespitum" as most frequent ant species in saline field in Ocna Sibiului (Romania) (Tausan & Marko 2011; material determined by us). In Kyrgyzstan in meadows, steppes, semideserts, groves.
Adult sexuals in nests on 13 June ± 10 d [1 June, 27 June] (n = 6).
Associations with other Organisms
Fungi
This species is a host for the fungus Myrmicinosporidium durum (a pathogen) in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia (Csősz et al., 2012).
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- staerckei. Tetramorium staerckei Kratochvíl, in Kratochvíl, et al. 1944: 65.
- [First available use of Tetramorium caespitum subsp. hungarica var. staerckei Röszler, 1936b: 60 (w.q.m.) HUNGARY; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
- Junior synonym of impurum: Kutter, 1977c: 159; Radchenko, 2016: 246.
- Status as species: Wagner, et al. 2017: 119 (redescription).
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Wagner et al. (2017) - lectotype in μm: CL = 871, CW = 849, dAN = 266, EL = 181, EW = 133, FL = 350, HFL = 739, ML = 1072, MPPL = 322, MPSP = 396, MPST = 238, MW = 581, PEH = 321, PEL = 203, PEW = 303, PLSP = 201, PLST = 239, PnHL = 241, PoOc = 329, POTCos = 10, PPH = 359, PPL = 126, PPW = 378, PreOc = 212, RTI = 347, SLd = 692, SPST = 186, SPWI = 277.
Rather large compared with other species of complex, CS = 746 ± 57 [655, 878] μm. Dark brown to blackish.
Most elongate head of complex, CL / CW = 1.032 ± 0.014 [1.003, 1.062]. Eye rather large, EYE / CS = 0.178 ± 0.005 [0.168, 0.189]. Longest scape of complex, SLd / CS = 0.787 ± 0.016 [0.750, 0.817]. Mesosoma longest within complex and wide, ML / CS = 1.188 ± 0.025 [1.141, 1.247], MW / CS = 0.645 ± 0.014 [0.614, 0.681].
Promesonotal dorsum convex, metanotal groove shallow. – Head dorsum and occiput with longitudinal costae and costulae. Postoculo-temporal area of head with many costae and costulae, POTCos = 10.53 ± 1.75 [7.38, 13.75]. Mesosoma dorsum longitudinally rugulose, lateral side of propodeum with strongest sculpture of complex, Ppss = 16.9 ± 5.3 [11.3, 33.1]. – Dorsum of petiolar with sculpture or smooth. General surface appearance on average dull compared with other species. – Connected stickman-like or reticulate microsculpture: moderate-sized units scattered over 1st gastral tergite, MC1TG = 15.93 ± 2.35 [11.00, 22.00]. – Some workers with long c-shaped, crinkly, or sinuous hairs on ventral head posterior to buccal cavity.
Male
Wagner et al. (2017) - Paramere structure belongs to impurum-like form: rounded ventral paramere lobe without any sharp corner in dorsal or ventral view but with clear division of ventral and dorsal paramere lobes, visible by deep emargination between lobes in posterior view. No sharp corner at end of ventral lobe visible in posterior view. Relatively short dorsal paramere lobe, visible in posterior and dorsal view. Paramere structure length in lateral view > 1014 μm. In dorsal and posterior view, distinct corner on ventral paramere lobe between lobe top and emargination with dorsal lobe.
Type Material
Wagner et al. (2017) - Nagytétény (Hungary), 47.391° N, 18.987° E, 102 m a.s.l., leg. P. Röszler, 17.VI.1935.
Worker closer to needle (of two syntype workers of one card), labeled "Hongrie Nagytétény Coll: Röszler [/] "17. VI. 1935" [–] "500" [–] Typus [–] "Tetramorium caespitum v. hungaricum v. Staerckei worker Rößl. Typus! No. 500" [/] "PAUL RÖSZLER Baross Gabor-telep HONGRIE – EUROPE", designated as lectotype (Fig. 18). Lectotype worker, one paralectotype worker, one paralectotype gyne, and one paralectotype male in Museum of Natural History, Sibiu / Hermannstadt (Romania).
References
- 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).
- Csősz, S., Lapeva-Gjonova, A., Markó, B., Hagedorn, H. 2012. New data on the geographical distribution and host utilization of the entomopathogenic fungus Myrmicinosporidium durum'. Journal of Insect Science 12:129 (doi:10.1673/031.012.12901).
- Purkart, A., Wagner, H.C., Goffová, K., Selnekovič, D., Holecová, M. 2021. Laboratory observations on Anergates atratulus (Schenck, 1852): mating behaviour, incorporation into host colonies, and competition with Strongylognathus testaceus (Schenck, 1852). Biologia (doi:10.1007/s11756-021-00901-y).
- Salata, S., Borowiec, L. 2019. Comments to distribution of several Greek Tetramorium Mayr, 1855 species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom, Entomology 28, 1-9 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.2644897).
- Seifert, B. 2021. Surviving the winter: Tetramorium sibiricum n. sp., a new Central Siberian ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Osmia 9, 15–24 (doi:10.47446/osmia9.3).
- Wagner, H.C., Arthofer, W., Seifert, B., Muster, C., Steiner, F.M. & Schlick-Steiner, B.C. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex. Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.
- Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2019. Comments to distribution of several Greek Tetramorium Mayr, 1855 species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 28(2): 1-9.
- Schar S., G Talavera, X. Espadaler, J. D. Rana, A. A. Andersen, S. P. Cover, and R. Vila. 2018. Do Holarctic ant species exist? Trans-Beringian dispersal and homoplasy in the Formicidae. Journal of Biogeography 00: 1-12.
- Wagner H. C., W. Arthofer, B. Seifert, C. Muster, F. M. Steiner, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.
