Tapinoma nigerrimum

A west-Mediterranean ant, relatively common in the warmest areas. In Italy it occurs mostly in central and southern regions (Rigato & Toni, 2011).

Identification
A member of the Tapinoma nigerrimum complex.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Balearic Islands, Belgium, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Spain, Turkey.

Biology
Seifert et al. (2017) - Tapinoma nigerrimum differs from the other three nigerrimum species group in having monodomous, not very large colonies which behave aggressively to each other. Polydomous colonies seem to exist but true supercoloniality or an invasive potential are not confirmed so far. Furthermore, there seems to be some trend in T. nigerrimum of selecting more natural or semi-natural habitats – without avoiding habitats with anthropogenous impact. The other three species, in contrast, are clearly more abundant in sites with strong anthropogenous pressure. T. nigerrimum, furthermore, shows a clear avoidance of coastal areas: Only two samples were taken along the shore line within a maximum distance of 4 km from beach but 17 samples more than 4 km inland from shore. This is significantly different from a homogenous distribution over shore line and inland (p = 0.0185). As the sampling schedule of this study strongly underrecorded inland areas and thus the main habitats of T. nigerrimum, the relative rarity and disjunct distribution suggested by their distribution are probably not real traits. Alates were observed: 4 May ± 10 d [29 April - 21 May] n = 5.

Obregon et al. (2015) - This ant was observed on larvae of Lampides boeticus that were feeding on Erophaca baetica in Sierra Morena, southern Spain. T. nigerrimum has also been associated with the butterflies  Tomares ballus and  Leptotes pirithous.

Gonçalves et al (2017) found Tapinoma nigerrimum to be abundant in the Iberian vineyards they sampled (pitfall trapping).

Genetics
Palomeque et al. (2015) discovered and studied class II mariner elements, a form of transposable elements, in the genome of this ant. "Tapinoma nigerrimum has a chromosome number of n=9. Three different complete mariner elements were found in the genome of the ant Tapinoma nigerrimum. One (Tnigmar-Mr) was interrupted by a 900-bp insertion that corresponded to an incomplete member of a fourth mariner element, called Azteca.

Nomenclature

 *  nigerrima. Formica nigerrima Nylander, 1856b: 71 (w.) FRANCE. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Formica nigerrima Christ, 1791: 513 (now in Lasius) (Bolton, 1995b: 401).] Emery, 1869b: 10 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1951: 199 (l.). Combination in Tapinoma: Mayr, 1861: 41. Junior synonym of erraticum: Mayr, 1865: 62. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of erraticum: Emery & Forel, 1879: 454. Subspecies of erraticum: André, 1882b: 224; Forel, 1902a: 154; Forel, 1904b: 376; Ruzsky, 1905b: 478; Emery, 1916b: 215; Finzi, 1924a: 14; Kutter, 1928: 65. Status as species: Ruzsky, 1902d: 20; Bondroit, 1918: 89; Emery, 1925d: 46; Finzi, 1930d: 316; Santschi, 1931a: 10; Bernard, 1967: 258; Kutter, 1977c: 181. Senior synonym of magnum: Forel, 1876: 61; of ibericum: Collingwood, 1978: 71. Junior synonym of erraticum: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 169; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 192.]; Bolton, 1995b: 401. Revived from synonymy: Shattuck, 1994: 150; Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski, 2009: 478; Seifert, 2012a: 145.

Type Material


Seifert et al. (2017) - As types are not present in the Nylander collection in Helsinki, a neotype was fixed. The descriptive statements in the original description allow to conclude on a Tapinoma nigerrimum complex species but not which of the four cryptic species Nylander could have seen. Yet, the type locality "Locus aridis prope Monspelium" (Dry locality near Montpellier) gives an indication. Accordingly, we fixed a neotype in the species accounting for any of the nine Tapinoma nigerrimum complex colonies found within a radius of less than 20 km around Montpellier under exclusion of the immediate shore line.