Cataglyphis aphrodite

Cataglyphis aphrodite is a thermophilous species noted from low to mid altitudes. Most records are from the seacoast to 200 m a.s.l. The highest sites were placed in pine and cedar forests at 1196 m. It prefers sunny areas like roadsides, salt lake coasts, dry riverbanks, and dry meadows with Mediterranean bushes. Noted also in urban areas on grasses and in gardens. Nests are directly placed in the ground; workers penetrate large areas around the nest’s entrance and are active at high temperatures in the middle of the day.

Identification
Cataglyphis aphrodite is a member of the Cataglyphis nodus complex within the bicolor species group characterised by petiole nodiform, head and mesosoma distinctly sculptured, monophasic variation in body size, and bicolored and large workers (WL always above 3 mm, often above 5 mm) (Agosti 1990).

The eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin complex consists of two species: Cataglyphis lunatica and Cataglyphis nodus. Cataglyphis lunatica differs strongly in yellow body coloration and brownish gaster. Cataglyphis nodus appears to be the most similar-looking species but differs from C. aphrodite in larger body size. HL in major workers of C. nodus reaches up to 3.5 mm (less than 2.3 mm in C. aphrodite). The overall small body size was already noticed by Forel (1904), who recorded C. nodus from Cyprus and pointed out that a smaller size characterizes Cypriot populations compared to typical C. nodus. Also, the setation of mesosoma, if present, is in C. nodus more abundant and longer than in C. aphrodite. In C. nodus, the longest setae on pronotum are 0.269 mm, on mesonotum 0.230 mm, and propodeum 0.262 mm, while in C. aphrodite 0.158, 0.076, and 0.079, respectively. Currently, there are four taxa considered junior synonyms of C. nodus, and two of them were described from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Cataglyphis bicolor rufiventris was described from Korfu [Corfu/Kerkyra] based on differences in the coloration of gaster, while Cataglyphis viatica orientalis was described from Edirne in Türkiye based on the thicker and lower petiole. In both cases, the characters mentioned above were proven to fall within the infraspecific variation observed in C. nodus. Thus, due to the lack of any name that can be used for the Cypriot populations, we decided to describe them as new to science.

Cataglyphis aphrodite might also be confused with some other species of the bicolor species group known from the Eastern Mediterranean:
 * Cataglyphis machmal differs in the dorsum of mesosoma and first gastral tergite with numerous white, long erect setae, mostly longer than apical width of hind tibia (in C. aphrodite dorsum of mesosoma and first gastral tergite without erect setae or with 1–3 short setae on each mesosomal tergite and at most 6 setae on propodeum, setae never longer than apical width of hind tibia)
 * Cataglyphis oasium differs in a strongly convex propodeum, legs always dark colored (brown to black) and larger size (HL in major workers always above 3 mm while in C. aphrodite HL < 2.5 mm)
 * Cataglyphis israelensis differs in larger body size (HL in major workers up to 3.20 mm) and mesonotum raised over pronotum in most workers
 * Cataglyphis laevior differs in larger body size (HL in major workers always above 3 mm) and less sculptured gaster with shiny lateral sides (in C. aphrodite gaster is more sculptured and never shiny). Also, C. laevior is distributed in northern Africa and its records from Türkiye (Kiran & Karaman 2021) and Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood 1985, Collingwood & Agosti 1996) need confirmation.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Cyprus.

Nomenclature

 * . Cataglyphis aphrodite Salata, Demetriou, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023: 311, figs. 11-20 (w.q.) CYPRUS.

Type Material

 * Holotype (pinned): major worker: CyPRUS, Paphos, 424 m | Agiou Neofytou Mon. | 34.84602 / 32.44784 | 29 IV 2022, L. Borowiec (MNHW).
 * Paratypes: 37 w., 1q (pinned): the same data as for holotype (MNHW, JDPC, ZMUA); 1s.: CyPRUS, Akrotiri, 1 m | Limassol Salt Lake loc. 1 | 34.6041 / 32.9528 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec (MNHW); 1w.: CyPRUS, Akrotiri, 0 m | Limassol Salt Lake loc. 2 | 34.60987 / 32.994685 | 20 IV 2022, L. Borowiec (MNHW); 3w.: CyPRUS, Larnaca, 4 m, | Larnaca Salt Lake | 34.91047 / 33.60489 | 22 IV 2022, J. D. [emetriou] C. G. [eorgiadis]; 4s., 2w.: CyPRUS, Paphos, Kato | Paphos, 32 m | 34.75368 / 32.43391 | 17 IV 2022, L. Borowiec; 1s.: CyPRUS, Paphos, 219 m | 2.2 km S of Lemona | 34.842542 / 32.54799 | 29 IV 2022, L. Borowiec; 2s.: CyPRUS, Paphos, Lara | beach, 10 m | 34.91957 / 32.32751 | 18 IV 2022, L. Borowiec; 2s., 3w.: CyPRUS, Paphos distr., 7 m | Paphos-Lempa, beach area | 34°48.425 N/32°23.643 E | 7 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-Cy00048; 1s., 1w.: CyPRUS, Paphos distr., 7 m | Paphos-Lempa, beach area | 34°47.971 N/32°23.577 E |1 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-Cy00049; 1s.: CyPRUS, Paphos distr., 176 m | Diarizos riv. n. Mamonia | 34°45.736 N/32°37.253 E | 6 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBCCy00050; 1s., 11w.: CyPRUS, Paphos distr. | 1196 m, Cedar Valley | 34°59.703 N/32°41.240 E | 5 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-Cy00051; 1s., 1w.: CyPRUS, Paphos distr., 62 m | Diarizos riv. n. Nikokleia | 34°43.805 N/32°35.037 E | 6 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBCCy00202; major worker: CyPRUS, Paphos distr., 25 m | Kato Paphos Palaipafou Ave | 34.758873 / 32.421888 | 4–13 VII 2019, G. Hebda || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-Cy00212.

Taxonomic Notes
This species was previously misidentified as:
 * Cataglyphis nodus by Forel (1904): 176 (as Myrmecocystus viaticus var. orientalis Forel, 1895).
 * Cataglyphis nodus by Santschi (1939): 7 (as Cataglyphis bicolor st. nodus Brullé).
 * Cataglyphis viatica by Dempster (1957): 39 (as Myrmecocystus viaticus (F.)).