Aphaenogaster trinacriae

This species was mostly collected in natural Quercus forest but occasionally also in some artificial Pinus forest. All sites were either fully established forest or degraded forest. Altitude between 110 m and 1,260 m. Aphaenogaster trinacriae partly shares its distribution with that of Aphaenogaster subterranea ichnusa, whose ecology requirements are seemingly vastly overlapping (SCHIFANI & ALICATA 2018), therefore competition between these two may be expected to be significant. On the contrary, A. subterranea s. str. is found at higher altitudes and/or in different habitats in Sicily (SCHIFANI & ALICATA 2018). Aphaenogaster trinacriae was reported removing elaiosomes from seeds of Euphorbia characias (LI VIGNI 2014, subspecies A. sicula).

Distribution based on type material
Italy.

Nomenclature

 *  trinacriae. Aphaenogaster trinacriae Alicata & Schifani, 2019: 10 (w.q.) ITALY.