Temnothorax similis

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Csösz et al. (2015) - A member of the angustifrons species-complex. This species can be distinguished from other species belonging to different species complexes by its inconspicuously sculptured or smooth head and/or its shorter propodeal spines (SPST/CS). Temnothorax similis differs from the superficially similar Temnothorax schoedli by non-overlapping ranges of PEH/CS and NOH/CS ratios on the level of nest sample means.

Though workers of T. similis differ from those of other species in this complex by having a wider frons (FRS/CS) than Temnothorax angustifrons, a lower petiole (NOH/CS) than Temnothorax lucidus, and longer propodeal spines (SPST/CS) than Temnothorax subtilis (see S4 Table), nest sample means of these characters slightly overlap between the latter two species and T. similis. In order to separate T. similis from T. angustifrons, T. lucidus, and T. subtilis a discriminant function with reduced character number (D4 = 0.0492_SPST -0.1037_PEH +0.0547_ML -0.0417_CL +2.2655) is provided, that yields 98.6% classification success rate for single individuals.

Distribution
This species is known from South and Central Anatolia, Turkey. According to the material available in this study, this species seems to occur in disjunct areas with a 600 km wide gap between the two known sites. (Csösz et al. 2015)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  similis. Temnothorax similis Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015: 23, figs. 11A-C (w.) TURKEY.
 * [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501.]

Worker
Body color: yellow; brown. Body color pattern: mesosoma, antenna and legs, waist and anterior region of 1st gastral tergite lighter than head dorsum and posterior region of gaster. Antenna color pattern: clava concolorous funicle. Absolute cephalic size: 505–635 μm (m = 571, nlot = 13). Cephalic length vs. Maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.145–1.233 (m = 1.183). Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.371–0.398 (m = 0.386). Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture dispersed forked costate, ground sculpture inconspicuous areolate. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: feebly convex. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with feeble areolate ground sculpture. Median region of antennal rim vs. frontal carina in frontal view structure: not fully overlapped by frontal carina. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen count: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.245–0.270 (m = 0.263). Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.352–0.369 (m = 0.361). Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons count: present; absent. Longitudinal carinae on medial region of frons shape: forked. Smooth median region on frons count: present. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.775–0.830 (m = 0.802). Facial area of the scape absolute setal angle: 0–15°. External area of the scape absolute setal angle: 10–15°; 35–40°. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: smooth. Median carina of clypeus count: present. Lateral carinae of clypeus count: present. Median anatomical line of propodeal spine angle value to Weber length in lateral view: 47–52°. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.220–0.267 (m = 0.245). Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.261–0.290 (m = 0.277). Maximum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPWI/CS): 0.299–0.347 (m = 0.321). Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.291–0.326 (m = 0.321). Maximum mesosoma width vs. absolute cephalic size (MW/CS): 0.606–0.641 (m = 0.624). Metanotal depression count: present. Metanotal depression shape: deep. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: inconspicuous areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture dispersed costate. Mesopleuron sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Metapleuron sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Frontal profile of petiolar node contour line in lateral view shape: concave. Dorsal profile of petiolar node contour line angle value to frontal profile of petiole contour line in lateral view: 95–105°. Anterodorsal rim of petiole count: absent medially. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Dorso-caudal petiolar profile contour line in lateral view shape: straight; concave. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent.

Type Material
Holotype: TUR:512 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (, CASENT0914691), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-512].

Paratypes: TUR:512 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (2## HNHM), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107- 512]; TUR:515 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (4## HNHM), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-515]; TUR:520 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 22 km NW. Antakya, 36.3050 N, 36.0098 E, 1600-1800mH, 07.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (3## HNHM, 1# ), [TUR:Antakya-22NW-20111107-520]; TUR:547 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 10 km NW. Hassa, 36.8459 N, 36.4330 E, 1500mH, 08.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (4## HNHM), [TUR:Hassa-10NW-20111108-547]; TUR:552 Turkey, Nur Dağlari, 10 km NW. Hassa, 36.8459 N, 36.4330 E, 1500mH, 08.11.2011, leg. A. Schulz, (3## HNHM, 2## CAS), [TUR:Hassa-10NW-20111108-552].

Etymology
Species epithet (Latin: similis m, f = similar) refers to the superficial similarity of this species to T. schoedli.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Csősz S, Heinze J, and I. Mikó. 2015. Taxonomic synopsis of the Ponto-Mediterranean ants of Temnothorax nylanderi species-group. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0140000. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140000