Aphaenogaster simonellii

On Crete, a common species in open, sunny locations: open dry forest, wood edges, olive groves, lawns, fields with scattered shrubs, urban areas. Observed up to 800 m altitude. Nest in the soil, mostly sheltered by stones, also in cavities of rocks. Workers are individual foraging on the ground, in herbs and bases of trees and shrubs. Foraging behaviour can be described as precautionary. Feeds on live and dead arthropods, and myrmecochorous seeds. I have seen them carrying petals of olives, which results in crops of hundreds of bare petals. Also other dead vegetable material was collected. Fast-moving after disturbance. I observed several times territorial behavior and evacuation of the nest (in May). (Boer, 2013)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 *  simonellii. Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa var. simonellii Emery, 1894j: 8 (w.) GREECE. Raised to species: Santschi, 1933c: 401. See also: Schembri & Collingwood, 1981: 54.