Myrmica aloba

M. aloba is almost exclusively an Iberian form that is associated with hot, but moist grassland conditions, where it nests in very similar places to Myrmica scabrinodis living in cooler climates. In the extreme south-west of Europe near Cape St. Vincent in Portugal, we observed many populous nests living in the tops of large grass tussocks in river flood meadows that are grazed by cattle. They have been found on marshy grassland in north Portugal, where they were hosts to the Large Blue Butterfly Phengaris alcon (Denis et Schiffermiiller) (I. Wynhoff, pers. comm.). In Spain in summer they are often found foraging on rocks near dried-up water-courses, lakes and springs. In the mountains of Soria we have found nests living in soil on cattle meadows near a spring. Here M. aloba lived sympatrically with M. scabrinodis and both species appeared to be hosts to ''Ph. alcon''. The ecological separation of these species on such sites has not yet been studied in detail, but it seemed that M. aloba avoided the very boggy conditions close to the spring, where some M. scabrinodis nests were observed. Sexuals were found in nests from the end of July until mid-September, which indicates that M. aloba swarms in late summer. (Radchenko and Elmes 2010)

Identification
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) – A member of the scabrinodis complex of the scabrinodis species group. It is most similar to Myrmica scabrinodis: the female castes of the two species have a strongly curved (though not angularly bent) scape, but M. aloba differs from M. scabrinodis by the absence of a lobe on the bend of the scape having at most only a small longitudinal ridge. Males were described relatively recently (Tinaut and Espadaler 1987) based on nest samples containing both workers and males; the males of M. aloba are very similar to those of M. scabrinodis by the length of scape and character of pilosity on the scape and legs.

Key to Myrmica of West Europe and North Africa

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Balearic Islands, China, France, Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, Spain.

Nomenclature

 *  aloba. Myrmica scabrinodis var. aloba Forel, 1909c: 103 (w.) SPAIN. Santschi, 1925g: 340 (q.); Finzi, 1926: 95 (w.); Tinaut & Espadaler, 1987: 61 (m.). Subspecies of rugulosoides: Finzi, 1926: 95. Raised to species: Santschi, 1931b: 340; Santschi, 1936c: 199. Senior synonym of albuferensis: Santschi, 1931b: 340; of rolandi: Seifert, 1988b: 29. See also: Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 56; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 84.
 * rolandi. Myrmica rolandi Bondroit, 1918: 101 (w.q.) FRANCE. Subspecies of sulcinodis: Santschi, 1919e: 244; Menozzi, 1922b: 325; of scabrinodis: Emery, 1921f: 40; Santschi, 1925g: 340; Santschi, 1931b: 344. Revived status as species: Finzi, 1926: 89; Bernard, 1967: 115. Junior synonym of aloba: Seifert, 1988b: 29.
 * albuferensis. Myrmica albuferensis Lomnicki, 1925b: 2 (w.) SPAIN (Balearic Is.). Junior synonym of rolandi: Finzi, 1926: 89; Bernard, 1956b: 257; of aloba: Santschi, 1931b: 340; Seifert, 1988b: 29.

Etymology
M. aloba: from a combination of loba derived from the Greek = lobe [of ear] and the prefix α (a) = not or without, to indicate the mostly absent (or extremely reduced) lobe on the bend of the scape compared to its close relative M. scabrinodis.