Temnothorax strymonensis

This species occurs in various habitats and can be found at altitudes between 10 and 1550 m a.s.l. Most samples were collected in stream valleys with deciduous or mixed forests, open oak woodlands, and mountain pastures with phrygana and oak shrubs. Three samples were collected in montane conifer forests. Single samples were found in a pine forest, shrubs overgrowing the old monastery, on marble tombs in the old cemetery, and on pastures and limestone rocks in the alpine zone. In all localities, ants were observed or collected on limestone rocks or in oak shrubs. Nests were located mostly in shaded areas under moss or in limestone crevices.

Distribution
Temnothorax strymonensis is an East Mediterranean (Vigna Taglianti & al. 1999) species. It most typically occurs in Greece and southern Bulgaria, but it can be found in Croatia along the Adriatic Sea coast as well. This species is known to penetrate deeply into the Anatolian territories of Turkey, where it syntopically co-occurs with T. interruptus in a single locality (Prov. Kayseri, Ziyarettepesi Geçidi, ca. 130 km E. Kayseri). Despite the extensive contact zone found for T. strymonensis and T. morea in southern and western Greece, true syntopic occurrence of these species has not been observed.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  strymonensis. Temnothorax strymonensis Csősz, S., Salata, S. & Borowiec, L. 2018: 112, figs. 6, 9, 12, 15, 20, 21, 26, 27, 30 (w.q.) BULGARIA.