Aphaenogaster subterraneoides

This species has been found in steppe grasslands in Bulgaria (Borowiec et al., 2019).

Identification
A member of the Aphaenogaster pallida-group (Borowiec et al., 2019).

Aphaenogaster subterraneoides and Aphaenogaster pallida are very similar and differ only in the structure of propodeum. In A. pallida the propodeum is rounded, lacking propodeal spines, while in A. subterraneoides minute propodeal spines are present (Borowiec et al., 2019).

Distribution
This is the most widespread species of the A. pallida species group. It has been recorded from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Russia (Caucasus), Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. It is possible that records of Aphaenogaster pallida from Bulgaria (Vasilev 1984) are misidentified specimens of Aphaenogaster subterraneoides (Borowiec et al., 2019).

Records under the name Aphaenogaster lesbica from Crete (Borowiec & Salata 2012: 465) are based on a misinterpretation of that species in the key by Agosti & collingwood (1987) and concern Aphaenogaster subterraneoides (Borowiec, 2014).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine.

Nomenclature

 * . Aphaenogaster pallida var. subterraneoides Emery, 1881b: 534 (w.) GREECE.
 * Santschi, 1939c: 5 (q.).
 * Combination in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 59.
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1898c: 139; Ruzsky, 1905b: 720; Emery, 1908c: 334.
 * Subspecies of striola: Forel, 1890a: lxxi; Dalla Torre, 1893: 105.
 * Subspecies of gibbosa: Karavaiev, 1912a: 5.
 * Subspecies of pallida: André, 1883b: 358; Dalla Torre, 1893: 103; Emery, 1915a: 258; Emery, 1916b: 130; Santschi, 1919e: 245; Emery, 1921f: 59; Müller, 1923b: 53; Finzi, 1930a: 153; Finzi, 1930d: 312; Santschi, 1932d: 344; Zimmermann, 1935: 12; Menozzi, 1936d: 270; Santschi, 1939c: 5; Ceballos, 1956: 298; Arnol’di, 1968: 1806.
 * Junior synonym of pallida: Bernard, 1967: 134.
 * Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 159; Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 59; Arnol'di, 1976b: 1023 (in key); Collingwood, 1978: 79 (in key); Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 536 (in key); Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 54; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 270 (in key) ; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 41; Collingwood, 1993b: 194; Bolton, 1995b: 73; Espadaler, 1997b: 29; Bračko, 2006: 135; Karaman, M.G. 2011b: 20; Legakis, 2011: 8; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 469; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 17; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2013: 337; Borowiec, L. 2014: 19 (see note in bibliography); Bračko, et al. 2014: 13; Lebas, et al. 2016: 260; Radchenko, 2016: 167; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c: 43.
 * Senior synonym of cypriotes: Emery, 1915a: 258; Emery, 1916b: 130; Emery, 1921f: 59; Finzi, 1930a: 153; Santschi, 1932d: 344; Arnol’di & Dlussky, 1978: 536 (in key) ; Bolton, 1995b: 73; Petrov, 2006: 91 (in key); Karaman, M.G. 2011b: 20; Legakis, 2011: 8; Radchenko, 2016: 167.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus armeniaca.
 * cypriotes. Aphaenogaster pallida subsp. cypriotes Emery, 1908c: 329 (w.) CYPRUS.
 * [Misspelled as cypriodes by ; Karaman, M.G. 2011b: 20.]
 * Subspecies of pallida: Forel, 1913d: 429; Emery, 1914d: 156.
 * Junior synonym of subterraneoides: Emery, 1915a: 258; Emery, 1916b: 130; Emery, 1921f: 59; Finzi, 1930a: 153; Santschi, 1932d: 344; Arnol’di & Dlussky, 1978: 536 (in key) ; Bolton, 1995b: 69; Karaman, M.G. 2011b: 20; Legakis, 2011: 8; Radchenko, 2016: 167.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2013. Ants of Greece  additions and corrections (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 24(3-4): 335-401.
 * Bracko G., H. C. Wagner, A. Schulz, E. Gioahim, J. Maticic, and A. Tratnik. 2014. New investigation and a revised checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Republic of Macedonia. North-Western Journal of Zoology 10(1): 10-24.
 * Bracko, G. 2006. Review of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) of Croatia. Acta Entomologica Slovenica 14(2): 131-156.
 * Collingwood, C. A. 1993. A Comparitive Study of the Ant Fauna of Five Greek Islands. Biologia Gallo-hellenica. 20,1:191-197
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 * Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
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 * Salata S., and L Borowiec. 2017. Species of Tetramorium semilaeve complex from Balkans and western Turkey, with description of two new species of (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 62:279–313.
 * 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.
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 * Santschi, F. "Trois notes sur quelques fourmis du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique." Bulletin du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique 15 (1939): 1-15.
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