Temnothorax smyrnensis

This species is associated mostly with moderately humid to arid deciduous forests or mediterranean bushes and has been collected on rocks and stones (Salata & Borowiec, 2019). In Greece, Salata et al. (2023) found it to be a lowland species known from sites at an altitude 20–265 m. Workers were shaken off from herbs and shrubs in suburban area with maquis, streambank in Mediterranean oak forest, stream valley with deciduous forest. Single worker was collected on a tree trunk in urban park.

Identification
Temnothorax smyrnensis differs from all remaining members of the graecus species group by a combination of the following characters (Salata et al., 2023):
 * low and rounded petiolar node
 * low and elongated mesosoma
 * bright brown antennal club; medial frons and vertex predominantly smooth and with sparse and thin costulae; propodeal spines short, in form of triangular denticles; pronotum with thick and sparse costulae with smooth interspaces, mesonotum and propodeum with denser and thinner rugocostulae and smooth to indistinctly rugulose interspaces.

Temnothorax aeolius and T. smyrnensis differ from remaining members of the graecus species group in presence of low to very low and regularly rounded petiolar node. While T. smyrnensis differs from T. aeolius in presence of low and elongated mesosoma, predominantly smooth medial frons and vertex with sparse and thin costulae, presence of thick and sparse costulae on pronotum, and rugocostulate mesonotum and propodeum.

Distribution
This is an eastern species, in Greece recorded only from the Aegean Island and the Dodecanese. From Thrace firstly noted under name Temnothorax cf. graecus (Bračko et al. 2016). (Borowiec et al., 2022)

Temnothorax smyrnensis appears to be endemic to the Aegean Region. So far, its known records come from Greece (islands Kos, Samos, Samothrace and urban park in coastal part of Greek Thrace) and Türkiye (İzmir Province). (Salata et al., 2023)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  smyrnensis. Leptothorax bulgaricus subsp. smyrnensis Forel, 1911d: 335 (w.q.) TURKEY.
 * Status as species: Borowiec & Salata, 2018: 9.

Type Material
Lectotype worker (designated by Salata et al., 2023): L. bulgaricus For. | v. smyrnensis | For. | Cocarinali | Smyrne (tipes) |(Forel) || r. L. smyrnensis | Forel || Coll. | A. Forel || Typus || ANTWEB | CASENT0909019 (MHNG), examined.

Queen
Salata and Borowiec (2018) - (n=1): HL: 0.72; HW: 0.72; SL: 0.47; EL: 0.21; EW: 0.16; ML: 1.27; PSL: 0.23; SDL: 0.14; PEL: 0.43; PPL: 0.23; PEH: 0.3; PPH: 0.33; PNW: 0.82; PEW: 0.26; PPW: 0.35; HI: 100. 0; SI1: 65.4; SI2: 65.4; MI: 64.1; EI1: 76.9; EI2: 22.7; PI: 130.0; PPI: 77.8.

Colour. Whole body dark brown. Antennae, mandibles and legs yellow; centre of femura Brown; base of first gastral tergite with dark yellow spot.. Head. Trapezoid, lateral surfaces below eyes straight, gently rounded on the posterior edges, occipital margin of head convex. Anterior margin of the clypeus gradually convex. Eyes big, oval, 0.3 times as long as length of the head. Antennal scape short, slightly curved, 0.65 times as long as length of the head, not reaching occipital margin of head, in apex gradually widened, its base without teeth. Pedicel more than 2 times longer than wide; average 1.2 times longer than second segment of funiculus. Other funicular segments more than 1 ½ times longer than wide. Surface of scape with very fine and sparse microreticulation; covered with thin, moderate dense, adpressed to decumbent setae, shorter than 1/3 of scape width. Mandibles oval, with sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny. Clypeus shiny with thick, longitudinal striae, area between striae smooth, shiny. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending across the fronts of the antennal fossae. Antennal fossa deep, with sparse roundly courved striae, area between striation with microreticulation and shiny. Frontal lobes narrow, smooth with thick longitudinal striae. Head on the whole surface with longitudinal reticulation, sometimes interrupted; on frons more regular and weaker; on vertex sculpture reduced; area between rugae with microreticulation. Entire head bearing sparse, thick, erect setae. Mesosoma. Short and low, square, 1.8 times as long as head; in lateral view its dorsum convex; propodeal spines reduced, triangular, short, with wide base and acute apex; dorsal surface of propodeum inclined towards its posterior surface. Pronotum with longitudinal, horizontal, weak but dense striation and reticulation, area between rugae with microreticulation, shiny. Scutum and axilla with longitudinal striation, absent on lateral sides; scutellum smooth and shiny; with sparse longitudinal striation on lateral sides; propodeum shiny, with sparse, thick reticulation on dorsum and weaker and denser sculpture on lateral sides. Anepisternum and katepisternum shiny with horizontal striation and reticulation, smooth on lateral edges. Mesosoma dorsum with sparse, thick, erect setae. Petiole. Peduncle short, node low and wide, with anterior and posterior faces straight, its dorsal surface wide and slightly convex. On the whole surface covered by dense reticulation and long, thick erect setae. Postpetiole. In lateral view, regularly rounded, 0.7 times as long as wide, apical half with gently rounded sides. On the whole surface covered by dense reticulation and long, thick erect setae. Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing sparse, long, suberect to erect, pale setae.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samos Island, Greece. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-13.
 * Forel A. 1911. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 47: 331-400.
 * Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.