Temnothorax artvinensis

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Csösz et al. (2015) - A member of the sordidulus species-complex. The very dark color of T. artvinensis prevents confusion of this species with any other Turkish Temnothorax treated in this revision.

Due to the fact that T. artvinensis is geographically well isolated from other dark brown or black species of the Temnothorax sordidulus complex, it is unlikely that this this species is confused with its siblings. However, for doubtful cases, or if anthropochory is suspected, a discriminant function after character reduction (D4 = +0.114_EL - 0.124_PEW +0.098_NOH -0.068_PPL +3.69209) separates 97.9% of T. artvinensis workers and each nest sample from that of Turkish Temnothorax schoedli and European brownish-black Temnothorax sordidulus and Temnothorax tergestinus.

Distribution
This species occurs in a restricted area of North-East Turkish high mountains.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  artvinensis. Temnothorax artvinense Seifert, 2006: 10, figs. 11  13 (w.q.) TURKEY.

Worker
Csösz et al. (2015) - Body color: brown; black. Body color pattern: head, mesosoma, waist and anterior region of 1st gastral tergite lighter than antenna and legs and posterior region of gaster. Antenna color pattern: clava concolorous funicle. Absolute cephalic size: 540–634 μm (mean = 582, n = 15). Cephalic length vs. Maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.206–1.263 (mean = 1.240). Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.375–0.389 (0.384). Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: parallel; converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: feebly convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture homogenously forked costate, ground sculpture areolate. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: feebly convex. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with 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): 0.239–0.260 (mean = 0.247). Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.357–0.375 (mean = 0.367). Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons count: present. Longitudinal carinae on medial region of frons shape: forked. Smooth median region on frons count: absent. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.776–0.813 (mean = 0.794). Facial area of the scape absolute setal angle: 0–15°. External area of the scape absolute setal angle: 30°. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: carinate. 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: 42–48°. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.227–0.288 (mean = 0.265). Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.265–0.301 (mean = 0.278). Maximum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPWI/CS): 0.296–0.350 (mean = 0.331). Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.280–0.337 (mean = 0.313). Maximum mesosoma width vs. absolute cephalic size (MW/CS): 0.598–0.626 (mean = 0.612). Metanotal depression count: present. Metanotal depression shape: deep. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: rugulose with areolate ground sculpture. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture forked costate. Mesopleuron sculpture: areolate ground sculpture superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Metapleuron sculpture: 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: 110–120°. Anterodorsal rim of petiole count: absent medially. Dorsal profile of petiolar node contour line in lateral view shape: slightly convex. 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: concave; straight. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent.

Type Material
Csösz et al. (2015) - Paratypes: 9 paratype workers of 3 nest samples were investigated from the type locality: Turkey, Artvin, 5 km SW. Artvin, 41.1445 N, 41.8537 E, 1000 mH, 27.06.1993, leg. A. Schulz “no. 1162” (3## ASPC) [TUR:Artvin-5SW-19930627-1162]; “no. 1164” (3## ASPC) [TUR:Artvin-5SW-19930627-1164]; “no. 1165” (3## ASPC) [TUR:Artvin-5SW-19930627-1165].

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
 * Kiran K., and C. Karaman. 2012. First annotated checklist of the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3548: 1-38.