Temnothorax sordidulus

Little is known about the biology of .

Identification
Csösz et al. (2015) - Due to its dark brown to black color this species can only be confused with its European sibling, Temnothorax tergestinus. The other black species belonging to this complex, Temnothorax artvinensis is endemic to Turkey. Though T. sordidulus seems endemic to the Dinaran Alps, its distribution slightly overlaps with that of T. tergestinus in Slovenia and Austria. The darker, often black color of T. sordidulus in contrast to the brown color of Central European populations of T. tergestinus, its shorter spines (SPST/CS), shorter scapes (SL/CS), longer petioles (PL/CS) and petiolar nodes (NOL/CS) may help to separate T. sordidulus from Central European populations of T. tergestinus. If these ratios overlap and do not clearly separate between the two taxa, or if T. sordidulus shall be separated from Bulgarian or Greek populations of T. tergestinus, a discriminant function (D7 = +0.0323_SPTI -0.0594_NOL +0.0859_SL -0.0490_ML +0.0867_CWb -0.1167_EL -0.0414_CL -1.2164) yields 99% classification success rate in single individuals and 100% in nest sample means.

In its restricted distributional area T. sordidulus cannot be confused with any other species treated in this revision.

Distribution
This species has a relatively restricted distributional area and is occurs in the Dinaran Alps of Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. (Csösz et al. 2015)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia.

Nomenclature

 *  sordidulus. Leptothorax sordidulus Müller, 1923: 70 (w.) ITALY.
 * [Also described as new by Müller, 1923b: 96.]
 * Novák, in Kratochvíl, Novák & Šnoflák, 1944: 118 (m.).
 * Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.
 * Status as species: Novák & Sadil, 1941: 90 (in key); Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 123; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 274 (in key); Schulz, 1991: 121; Bolton, 1995b: 244; Seifert, 1995: 14; Czechowski, et al. 2002: 52; Seifert, 2006: 8; Seifert, 2007: 241; Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015: 55 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of carinthiacus: Schulz, 1991: 121; Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015: 55.
 * Senior synonym of mulleri: Bolton, 1995b: 244.
 * mulleri. Leptothorax mulleri Santschi, 1926f: 293.
 * Unnecessary replacement name for sordidulus Müller, 1923b: 96.
 * [Misspelled as sordidus by Santschi, 1926f: 293.]
 * Junior synonym of sordidulus: Bolton, 1995b: 241.
 * carinthiacus. Leptothorax carinthiacus Bernard, 1957a: 46, figs. 1, 2 (w.q.m.) AUSTRIA.
 * Status as species: Bernard, 1967: 203 (redescription); Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 274 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of sordidulus: Schulz, 1991: 121; Csösz, Heinze & Mikó, 2015: 55.

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: 518–607μm (mean = 574, n = 15). Cephalic length vs. Maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.192–1.278 (mean = 1.238). Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.363–0.390 (mean = 0.374). 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): 0.258–0.280 (mean = 0.266). Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.353–0.378 (mean = 0.366). 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): 0.763–0.809 (mean = 0.785). 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: smooth; 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): 0.227–0.281 (mean = 0.258). Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.257–0.291 (mean = 0.273). Maximum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPWI/CS): 0.280–0.331 (mean = 0.306). Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.266–0.312 (mean = 0.288). Maximum mesosoma width vs. absolute cephalic size (MW/CS): 0.599–0.640 (mean = 0.615). 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: straight; concave. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent.

Type Material
Csösz et al. (2015) - Type material of Leptothorax sordidulus Müller, 1923: not investigated, most probably lost, see also Seifert (2006).

Lectotype and Paralectotype of Leptothorax carinthiacus Bernard, 1957: Carinthia Viktring Hölzler leg. [on reverse side: “V/55”], Lectotype Leptothorax carinthiacus Bernard 1957 desig. B. Seifert 2006 (2# LMK), [AUT:Viktring-carinthiacus-TYPE] (CASENT0913637).