Myrmica sabuleti

A host to the Large Blue (Phengaris arion) butterfly.

Identification
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - M. sabuleti belongs to the scabrinodis species group and it typifies the sabuleti-complex within that group. This complex contains all species with males having a relatively long scape (equal to total length of 4-4.5 basal funicular segments). The workers may be confused with several species, but generally they are characterized by a quite narrow frons (mean FI 0.33) and a well-developed lobe at the scape base. Males are distinguished from the socially parasitic members of this group, Myrmica hirsuta, Myrmica vandeli and Myrmica bibikoffi, by the absence of long erect to suberect hairs on the head margins.

Collingwood (1979) - Reddish brown. Antennal scapes are sharply angulate with a longitudinal keel running forward from the bend and a more or less massive lateral extension, which in Scandinavian samples is frequently curved up to appear as a large semiupright tooth seen from behind. The petiole node is more rounded and usually less truncate than in Myrmica scabrinodis Nyl. and the epinotal spines are relatively longer but these features are too variable for certain discrimination between the species in all cases. Head Index: 85.6; Frons Index: 36.8; Frontal Lamina Index: 66.5. Length: 4.0-5.0 mm.

Distribution
Europe (to the north until southern Sweden, Finland and Norway), Caucasus; all previous records of this species east of Ural Mts. belong to M. lonae (or any other species in older papers).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This is a robust species usually nesting in sun exposed sheltered sites, often in groups of small nests each containing up to a 1000 or more workers with a few queens. It is characteristically larger and more brightly coloured than the similar Myrmica scabrinodis and easy to distinguish in Scandinavia where the scape development is relatively massive equivalent to the form described as var. lonae Finzi. Nests are usually located under stones but unlike M. scabrinodis seldom or never in tree stumps or in boggy land.

Nomenclature

 *  sabuleti. Myrmica sabuleti Meinert, 1861: 327 (w.m.) DENMARK. Emery, 1908a: 176 (q.); Hauschteck, 1965: 325 (k.); Donisthorpe, 1915b: 258 (gynandromorph). Junior synonym of lobicornis: Dalla Torre, 1893: 111. Subspecies of scabrinodis: Emery, 1908a: 176; Bondroit, 1910: 495; Emery, 1916b: 120; Menozzi, 1922b: 325; Finzi, 1924a: 12; Finzi, 1926: 101; Menozzi, 1936d: 270. Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 102; Santschi, 1931b: 345; Karavaiev, 1934: 80; Stitz, 1939: 94; Weber, 1939b: 144; Holgersen, 1940: 184; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 79; Bernard, 1967: 117; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 31; Kutter, 1977c: 68; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 534; Collingwood, 1979: 54; Seifert, 1988b: 31; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 97. Senior synonym of scabrinodolobicornis: Radchenko, 1994e: 80. See also: Emery, 1895c: 314; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 250.
 * scabrinodolobicornis. Myrmica rubra var. scabrinodolobicornis Forel, 1874: 77 (w.q.m.) SWITZERLAND. Subspecies of scabrinodis: Emery, 1921f: 40; of sabuleti: Weber, 1948a: 296. Junior synonym of lonae: Sadil, 1952: 249; of sabuleti: Radchenko, 1994e: 80.