Temnothorax corticalis

Identification
Pale reddish brown with the head and gaster usually darker. antennae unicolorous brown; alitrunk and head finely longitudinally striate but general appearance shining. Propodeal spines reduced to very short denticles; petiole node triangular in profile with dorsal area reduced or absent. Length: 2.5-3.2 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Central Europe, rare, recorded only from Sweden, Spain, France, North Italy, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Belgium (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This is a little known rare Central European species. It is a bark inhabitant and Forsslund (1957a) found it nesting in old oak trees inhabited by Lasius brunneus (Latr.). Only worker samples were seen. Douwes (1976a) records workers taken on Öland on oak and in a fallen branch. The species appears to be closely related to Temnothorax nylanderi which has similar habits.

Nomenclature

 *  corticalis. Myrmica corticalis Schenck, 1852: 100 (w.q.) GERMANY. [Also described as new in Schenck, 1853: 187.] Stitz, 1914: 63 (m.). Combination in Leptothorax: Mayr, 1855: 440; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Subspecies of tuberum: Forel, 1874: 85; André, 1883a: 16; Ruzsky, 1902d: 21; Bondroit, 1910: 497; Stitz, 1914: 63. Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 123; Bondroit, 1912: 351; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 160; Bondroit, 1918: 124; Emery, 1924d: 253; Karavaiev, 1934: 136; Stitz, 1939: 174; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 91; Kutter, 1977c: 131; Collingwood, 1979: 74; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 137.