Myrmica anatolica

M. anatolica has been found only on mountains in Anatolia at altitudes between 1800 and 2400 m, where it is fairly common on both intensively grazed and more natural alpine meadows. It is also found in damper, shaded hay meadows at slightly lower altitudes and on steep slopes at the edge of mixed and pine forests. It nests in the soil, usually under stones. M. anatolica frequently lives sympatrically with M. lobicornis, and in the field (using a hand lens), it could be mistaken for a species from the scabrinodis-group. Sexuals were found in nests in mid-August indicating late summer swarming. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

Identification
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - A member of the lobicornis species group and well differs from Myrmica lobicornis by its much smaller lobe at the scape base, wider frons and more rounded petiole node (seen in profile).

Distribution
Anatolian part of Turkey.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  anatolica. Myrmica anatolica Elmes, Radchenko & Aktaç, 2002: 167, figs. 44-60 (w.q.m.) TURKEY. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 87.

Etymology
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - from the name Anatolia (a region of Turkey) with the adjective suffix for nouns ica (from the Greek ικο) = belonging to, from, to indicate that it is probably an endemic of that region.