Proformica lebasi

This is a mountain species, found on rocky pastures with sparse vegetation located above the upper edge of the forest at an altitude 979-1758 m. Nests are in ground and workers are active only in the midday hours with the strongest insolation.

Identification
Proformica lebasi belongs to the species with sparsely setose mesosoma and occipital part of head without or at most with 1-2 setae in occipital corners.

Proformica striaticeps differs in body of minor workers yellowish brown and distinctly striated frons and mesosoma and central part of first gastral tergite lacking erected setae or at most with 1-2 short erected setae, appressed pubescence on gastral tergites short and sparse, hardly visible while in P. lebasi workers are dark brown to black and striation on frons, if present, is diffused and covers only on central frons, pronotum and central part of first gastral tergite usually with few erected setae and appressed pubescence on gastral tergites short and sparse but well visible.

Proformica oculatissima differs in sparser appressed pubescence (distance between hairs as large as 1/2 or whole length of hair), and more shiny body with diffused background microreticulation; additionally P. oculatissima differs in less evident mesosomal setation with number of setae on mesonotum and propodeum less than 3 and on pronotum usually less than 4.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 * . Proformica lebasi Borowiec & Salata, 2022: 260, figs. 131.1-8 (s.w.) GREECE.

Type Material
Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02888 (MNHW)
 * Holotype minor worker: GREECE, The., Larissa | Olympus, Vrisopoules loc. 1 | 40.03372/22.31675, 1550 m | 15 V 2019, L. Borowiec || Collection L.
 * Paratypes: 5 minor workers: the same data as holotype (MNHW, MHNG); 2 minor workers: GREECE, Thess., Mt. Olympus | 2.8 km W of EOCHO ski center | 40.0255 N / 22.30421 E | 9 V 2017, L. Borowiec. 1340 m || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02380 (MNHW); one minor and 2 major workers: Greece, Thessaly, 979 m | Mt. Olympus, 1 km N of | Kryovrysi, 32.989N/22.326E | 7 V 2017, C. Lebas || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR02774 (MNHW).