Myrmica deplanata

M. deplanata is one of the most thermo-xerophilous species of the genus Myrmica. Although it has a widespread distribution, nests of M. deplanata are comparatively rare, it has never been reported as being abundant even in apparently optimal habitats. It inhabits mostly steppes and steppe-like habitats at low altitudes, where it prefers stony sites with low, often sparse vegetation. Nests are built in the soil, often under stones in places that become very hot in summer months. Although it is reportedly tolerant of high soil salinity it is not particularly associated with the damper steppe areas that can become quite salted. Sexuals have been found in nests from July-September (Radchenko and Elmes 2010). Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on park ground in a Caspian moist littoral area.

Identification
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) – A member of the schencki group that differs from sympatric Myrmica schencki, Myrmica caucasicola and Myrmica koreana by its wider frons and less extended frontal lobes; the males well differ from all other schencki-group species by their very short scape (for details see Radchenko, Elmes and Alicata 2006).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Austria, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation , Slovakia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine.

Nomenclature

 *  deplanata. Myrmica lobicornis var. deplanata Emery, 1921f: 38 (w.) UKRAINE, RUSSIA, GEORGIA. [First available use of Myrmica scabrinodis subsp. lobicornis var. deplanata Ruzsky, 1905b: 700; unavailable name.] Subspecies of lobicornis: Karavaiev, 1927a: 283; of schencki: Finzi, 1926: 111. Raised to species: Arnol'di, 1934: 169; Karavaiev, 1934: 83; Stitz, 1939: 105; Tarbinsky, 1976: 31. Senior synonym of moravica, plana: Karavaiev, 1934: 83; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843; Seifert, 1988b: 36; Radchenko & Elmes, 2009c: 511; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116; of dagmarae: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116. Junior synonym of lacustris: Radchenko, 1994f: 77; Seifert, 2003b: 150; Radchenko, Elmes & Alicata, 2006: 516. Revived from synonymy: Radchenko & Elmes, 2009c: 511. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116.
 * moravica. Myrmica moravica Soudek, 1922: 45, fig. 21 (w.q.) CZECHIA. Soudek, 1925a: 35 (m.). [Also described as new by Soudek, 1923: 107.] Status as species: Finzi, 1926: 104; Weber, 1950b: 213. Subspecies of deplanata: Novak & Sadil, 1941: 80; Kratochvíl, in Kratochvíl, Novak & Snoflak, 1944: 40; Sadil, 1952: 263. Junior synonym of deplanata: Karavaiev, 1934: 83; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843; Seifert, 1988b: 36; of lacustris: Radchenko, 1994f: 77; Seifert, 2003b: 150; Radchenko, Elmes & Alicata, 2006: 516; of deplanata: Radchenko & Elmes, 2009c: 511; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116.
 * plana. Myrmica lobicornis var. plana Karavaiev, 1927a: 283, fig. 1 (w.) UKRAINE. Arnol'di, 1934: 170 (q.m.). Subspecies of schencki: Karavaiev, 1929b: 208; of deplanata: Arnol'di, 1934: 170. Junior synonym of deplanata: Karavaiev, 1934: 83; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843; Seifert, 1988b: 36; of lacustris: Radchenko, 1994f: 78; Seifert, 2003b: 150; Radchenko, Elmes & Alicata, 2006: 516; of deplanata: Radchenko & Elmes, 2009c: 511; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116.
 * dagmarae. Myrmica moravica var. dagmarae Sadil, 1939b: 108 (w.q.m.) CZECHIA. Junior synonym of deplanata: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 116.

Taxonomic Notes
See Radchenko & Elmes (2009) for notes on type specimens.

Worker
Seifert (2003), translation of Rusky - Differs from the typical lobicornis by the almost absent constriction between meso-metanotum, of which exist only traces, because the profile of back is more vaulted and almost even [Ruzsky exactly wrote: "pochemu spinnoij profil yvlyaetsya boleye vypuklym i pochti rovnym", B.S.]. Spines shorter, thin, acute. At the bend of antennal scape an acute dent, or small acute lobe. Second waist segment almost smooth above, weakly shining, with a thin and minor net-like rugosity. Setae on the body very rare, sometimes almost absent from thorax and dorsum of gaster."

Etymology
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - derived from the word deplanate meaning flattened (above and below), which itself derives from the Latin word complanatus, it presumably refers to the "more flattened" propodeum dorsum compared to Myrmica scabrinodis.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Agosti, D. and C.A. Collingwood. 1987. A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste. I. Synonymic list. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 60: 51-62
 * Bezdecka P. 1996. The ants of Slovakia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomofauna carpathica 8: 108-114.
 * Bezdecka P., and K. Bezdeckova. 2012. Updated list of the ants of the Czech Republic. Pp 7-12. Bezd??ka P. & Bezd??ková K. (eds) 2012: Blanok?ídlí v ?eských zemích a na Slovensku 8, Chaloupky, 1.-3. ?ervna 2012, sborník abstrakt? z konference.  MVJ Jihlava, 37 pp.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Csősz S., B. Markó, and L. Gallé. 2011. The myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: an updated checklist. North-Western Journal of Zoology 7: 55-62.
 * Czechowski W. 2009. Myrmica slovaca SADIL and Myrmica deplanata EMERY rather than M. salina RUZSKY and M. lacustris RUZSKY (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Poland. Polish Journal of Entomology 78: 315-317.
 * 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
 * Czechowski, W. "Myrmica slovaca Sadil and Myrmica deplanata Emery rather than M. salina Ruzsky and M. lacustris Ruzsky (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Poland." Polish Journal of Entomology 78 (2009): 315-317.
 * Czekes Z., Radchenko, A. G., Csősz, S. Szász-Len, A., Tăuşan, I., Benedek, K., and Markó, B. 2013. The genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Romania: distribution of species and key for their identification. Entomologica Romanica 17: 29-50.
 * Dlussky G. M., O. S. Soyunov, and S. I. Zabelin. 1990. Ants of Turkmenistan. Ashkabad: Ylym Press, 273 pp.
 * Dubovikoff D. A., and Z. M. Yusupov. 2018. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
 * Finzi B. 1926. Le forme europee del genere Myrmica Latr. Primo contributo. Bollettino della Società Adriatica di Scienze Naturali in Trieste. 29: 71-119.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Karavaiev V. 1927. Übersicht der Ameisenfauna der Krim nebst einigen Neubeschreibungen. Konowia 5: 281-303.
 * Kiran K., and C. Karaman. 2012. First annotated checklist of the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3548: 1-38.
 * Kuznetsov G. T. 1990. Comparative analysis of Hymenoptera (Formicidae) population on altitudinal zones of central Kopetdag. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Turkmenskoi SSR. Seriya Biologicheskikh Nauk 1990(3): 64-67.
 * Pashaei Rad S., B. Taylor, R. Torabi, E. Aram, G. Abolfathi, R. Afshari, F. Borjali, M. Ghatei, F. Hediary, F. Jazini, V. Heidary Kiah, Z. Mahmoudi, F. Safariyan, and M. Seiri. 2018. Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 64(2): 145-159.
 * Pavlova N. S. 2014. To ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the floodplain of Medvedista River (Saratov Province). Entomological and parasitological studies in the Volga region 11: 145-147.
 * Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 2010. Myrmica ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 790 pp.
 * Reznikova Z. I. 2003. Distribution patterns of ants in different natural zones and landscapes in Kazakhstan and West Siberia along a meridian trend. Euroasian Entomological Journal 2(4): 235-342.
 * Seifert B. 1988. A taxonomic revision of the Myrmica species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caucasia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Görlitz 62(3): 1-75.
 * Steiner F. M., S. Schödl, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2002. Liste der Ameisen Österreichs (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Stand Oktober 2002. Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik 3: 17-25.