Plagiolepis pygmaea

A widespread south-European species, with some related forms occurring in the Mediterranean region (Rigato & Toni, 2011).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Israel, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

 *  pygmaea. Formica pygmaea Latreille, 1798: 45 (w.q.) FRANCE. Schenck, 1852: 69 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 135 (l.). Combination in Plagiolepis: Mayr, 1861: 43. Senior synonym of dufourii: Menozzi, 1925a: 19 (footnote); of obscuriscapus: Boer, 2008: 486. Current subspecies: nominal plus bulawayensis, mima, minu. See also: Stitz, 1939: 231; Kutter, 1977c: 185; Sharaf, Aldawood & Taylor, 2011: 207.
 * dufourii. Micromyrma dufourii Perris, 1878: 382 (w.) FRANCE. Junior synonym of Tapinoma erraticum: Dalla Torre, 1893: 165; Emery, 1913a: 40; Forel, 1915d: 43; of Plagiolepis pygmaea: Menozzi, 1925a: 19 (footnote).
 * obscuriscapus. Plagiolepis pygmaea var. obscuriscapus Santschi, 1923a: 137 (w.) ITALY. Stärcke, 1936: 278 (q.). Raised to species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 57. Junior synonym of pygmaea: Boer, 2008: 486.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Boer 2008.pdf|Boer, P. 2008. Plagiolepis obscuriscapa Santschi, 1923, a junior synonym of Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille, 1798) and the use of pigmentation as a discriminating character in ant taxonomy. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 82: 485-488. PDF]]
 * Rigato, F.; Toni, I. 2011. Short notes 21. Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Pp. 873-882 in: Nardi, G.; Whitmore, D.; Bardiani, M.; Birtele, D.; Mason, F.; Spada, L.; Cerretti, P. (eds.) 2011. Biodiversity of Marganai and Montimannu (Sardinia). Research in the framework of the ICP Forests network. Conservazione Habitat Invertebrati, 5. Sommacampagna, Verona: Cierre Edizioni, 896 pp.
 * Sharaf, M.R., Aldawood, S.A., Taylor, B. 2011. The formicine ant genus Plagiolepis Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with description of two new species. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 137:203-215.