Cardiocondyla batesii

Specimens have been collected from a number of anthropogenic habitats.

Identification
Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla batesii group. The C. batesii species complex forms a cluster of the similar taxa C. batesii, Cardiocondyla semirubra, and Cardiocondyla kushanica which are represented by specimens from remote geographic regions. The geographic sequence begins with C. batesii in Siberia, the Balearics, and N Africa, is followed by C. semirubra in Asia Minor, and is continued by C. kushanica in Afghanistan.

Seifert (2023) - Medium sized, CS 518 µm. Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.177. Postocular distance small, PoOc/CL 0.383. Scape moderately elongated, SL/CS 0.791. Eye large, EYE/CS 0.264. Median third of hind margin of head slightly concave. Frons moderately broad (FRS/CS 0.244), frontal notably converging immediately caudal of FRS level (FL/FR 1.077). Dorsal profile of promesonotum and of propodeum convex with a deep metanotal depression (Mgr/CS 3.82 %). Spines rather short and blunt, more triangular (SP/CS 0.117), their axis in profile deviating by about 43° from longitudinal axis of mesosoma, their bases rather distant (SPBA/CS 0.257). Petiole distinctly higher than wide (PeW/CS 0.282, PeH/CS 0.330); with characteristic profile, showing a short peduncle, a rather straight to weakly convex anterior face and an ample node with the anterior slope less steep than the caudal slope (about 60° respectively 75° relative to ventral profile). Petiole in dorsal view with elongated node that gradually merges with the anterior peduncle. Postpetiole wide (PpW/CS 0.533, PpW /PeW 1.89, PpH/CS 0.286), in dorsal view suggestively heard-shaped, with a concave anterior margin and convex sides; postpetiolar sternite completely flat. Median and paramedian clypeus smooth; lateral clypeus with 1–2 longitudinal rugulae. Dorsal head almost without longitudinal sculpture; weak longitudinal carinulae are present on and posterior of the frontal laminae. vertex with very shallow foveolae of 15–16 µm diameter; the margins of foveolae often breached by microrugulae running partially or entirely through the foveolae; the interspaces on average wider than foveolar diameter, shiny and with fragments of a very delicate microreticulum (Fig. 57). Dorsal mesosoma shiny, but finely microreticulate; meso- and metapleurae finely rugulose-reticulate. Waist segments very shiny, with barely visible microreticulum. Pubescence on gaster tergites moderately long and dense, PLg/CS 5.55 %, sqPDg 4.84. The typical color pattern is bicolored: dorsal head medium brown, mesosoma and waist light orange brown, gaster dark brown. This distinct color contrast may be lost in rarely occurring specimens with darker brown mesosoma.

The only species with sympatric occurrence related to Cardiocondyla batesii is Cardiocondyla nigra. C. batesii is strongly separable on the worker individual level by a PCA considering all the 14 morphometric characters shown in Tab. 3 as available for all 132 individuals (Fig. 112). All classifications, including the single C. batesii worker displaced by the PCA, are confirmed with p > 0.97 by a LOOCv-LDA reduced to the 10 characters CS, CL/CW, SL/CS, PoOc/CS, dFOv, PeW/CS, PeH/CS, PpH/CS, sqPDg, and PLg/CS in order to avoid character overfitting. The type series of C. nigra, Cardiocondyla nigra (as C. torretassoi) and Cardiocondyla bicoronata are allocated to the nigra cluster with p = 1.000 and the type series of C. batesii with p = 1.000 to the batesii cluster. A simpler way for a perfect separation, using six primary measurements given in mm, is offered by a linear discriminant:


 * D(6) = 63.22*CL-63.18*PoOc+55.89*SL+64.64*PeW-184.93*PeH-93.82*PpH-11.19
 * C. batesii: D(6) -2.459 ± 0.892 [-4.11, -0.53] n=37
 * C. nigra: D(6) 2.786 ± 1.038 [ 0.53, 5.20] n=95

Allopatric species with similarities to C. batesii are Cardiocondyla semirubra from Asia Minor and Cardiocondyla kushanica from Afghanistan. Non-overlapping morphometric data and structural differences provide arguments to treat these taxa as heterospecific in addition to the geographic argument (see these species for further details).

Distribution
Based on determined vouchers examined by Seifert (2023), distributed from N Morocco (6.8°W) east to NE Algeria (6.6°E) and from southern Spain north to 41.8°N. In southern Spain ascending to 930 m. Unverified records presented in antmaps.org include S Morocco, Tunisia and the Balearic Islands.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Balearic Islands, Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia.

Biology
Colonies may have more than one queen. New nests can be formed by fission.

Seifert (2023) - The biology of populations in southern Spain was investigated by Heinze et al. (2002) and Schrempf et al. (2005): Nests were found in cavities in the soil down to a depth of more than 1 m in very sunny and dry places. Colony density was high, with up to one nest per square meter. Nest populations contained 10–120 workers, were strictly monogynous and could contain 1–3 ergatoid males. Winged males were not observed. Workers never tolerated the presence of more than one inseminated, fertile gyne. Gynes mated in the nest in autumn, with mean mating frequencies of 1.52 ± 0.65 [1–3], and dispersed on foot to found their own colonies in spring. Gynes were dimorphic in mesosoma size which was correlated with wing length (brachyptery vs. macroptery). Yet, flight musculature was not sufficiently developed in both brachy- and macropterous gynes to allow flying. This reduced dispersal capacity explained the high inbreeding coefficient and the close genetic relatedness between queens and their mates and it was suggested that 83% of all matings were between brothers and sisters. As expected from local mate competition theory, sex ratios were extremely female biased, with more than 85% of all sexuals produced being young gynes.

Castes
Queens showed a remarkable variation in mesosoma size which appeared to be associated with a polymorphism in wing length (brachyptery vs. macroptery) (Heinze et al. 2002). Hundreds of young queens (both brachypterous and macropterous) were observed to leave their maternal nests, shed their wings, and disperse on foot. Both alate and dealate queens were found to be inseminated, suggesting that they had mated with ergatoid males in their maternal colonies before dispersal.

Nomenclature

 * . Cardiocondyla batesii Forel, 1894d: 17 (w.q.) ALGERIA.
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: Algeria: Oran, Perrégaux, 29.iii.1893 (A. Forel).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1895d: 228; Emery, 1909a: 22; Karavaiev, 1912a: 4; Emery, 1922e: 125; Menozzi, 1922b: 327; Menozzi, 1932c: 94; Bernard, 1948: 141; Bernard, 1956c: 302 (in key); Ceballos, 1956: 308; Cagniant, 1968a: 143; Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 75; Cagniant, 1970a: 417; Collingwood, 1978: 86 (in key); Kugler, J. 1984: 12; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 56; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 276 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 132; Radchenko, 1995b: 451; Espadaler, 1997b: 29; Collingwood & Prince, 1998: 16 (in key); Seifert, 2003a: 237 (redescription); Cagniant, 2006a: 198; Gómez & Espadler, 2006: 226; Petrov, 2006: 99 (in key); Legakis, 2011: 15; Borowiec, L. 2014: 45; Lebas, et al. 2016: 266.
 * Distribution: Algeria, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain (+ Balearics), Tunisia.

Type Material
Seifert (2003) - 5 syntype workers labelled “C. Batesii, male type, Perregaux Algerie 29 III”, and 4 syntype gynes labelled “C. Batesii, 9 type, Perregaux Algerie 29 III”, both in.

Worker
Seifert (2003) - Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.177. Postocular index small, PoOc/CL 0.383. Occipital margin slightly concave. Eyes large, EYE 0.264. Frontal carinae slightly converging immediately posterior of FRS level. Dorsal head almost without longitudinal sculpture; weak longitudinal carinulae present on and posterior of frontal laminae. Vertex with very shallow and simple foveolae of 14 - 16 mm diameter; interspaces shining and much wider than foveolar diameter, with very fine microrugulae surrounding foveolae (Fig. 17). Mesosoma and petiole dorsally shining, but finely microreticulate. Meso- and metapleurae microreticulate-rugulose. Propodeal spines rather well-developed and with rather blunt tips. Petiole with characteristic profile: short peduncle, weakly concave anterior face, and ample node which caudal slope is much steeper than the anterior one. Petiole in dorsal view with elongated node that gradually merges with anterior peduncle. Postpetiolar sternite completely flat. Typical colour pattern bicoloured: dorsal head medium brown, mesosoma and waist light-orange brown, gaster dark brown. This distinct colour contrast is lost in rare specimens with darker brown mesosoma.

Queen
Seifert (2003) - Head relatively short, CL/CW 1.165. Postocular index small, PoOc/CL 0.386. Occipital margin slightly concave. Head dorsally almost without longitudinal sculpture; weak longitudinal carinulae present on and posterior of frontal laminae and on lateral area of clypeus. Vertex with very shallow and simple foveolae of 14 - 16 mm diameter; interspaces much wider than foveolar diameter, shining, with fine microstructures as in worker. Dorsal area of mesosoma foveolate, interspaces between foveolae shining, wider than foveolar diameter; Mesosoma laterally shining, finely reticulate-carinulate. Propodeal spines rather strong. Petiole profile with short peduncle, weakly concave anterior face, and node produced caudad. Petiole node in dorsal view slightly longer than wide and gradually merging with anterior peduncle. Postpetiolar sternite without any flat bulge. Dorsal area of head dark brown; mesosoma and waist usually light-orange brown, occasionally dark brown; gaster blackish brown.

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