Myrmica specioides

Identification
Yellow red to reddish brown. Antennal scapes sharply angulate at bend with a more or less distinct lateral expansion. Petiole narrow, rectangular from above, in side view sloping evenly from the anterodorsal crest to its junction with the postpetiole. Postpetiole spherical almost cubical in side view, only slightly higher than wide. Head Index: 84.6; Frons Index: 40.6; Frontal Laminae Index: 78.3. Length: 3.0-4.5 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Spain to W. Russia; Italy to South Finland (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - Although M. kozakorum (=specioides) is a species of the Steppe Zone, within that biome it is normally found in intrazonal, relatively wet artd shaded• places (small woods, meadow-like associations around lakes, etc.). It appears to be fairly tolerant of high soil salinity often being found in scrub on the margins of salt lakes, however it does not appear to have evolved a highly adapted behaviour to such habitats as for example is seen in M. bergi (see Notes to that species). We suspect that it forages in the patches of shaded vegetation and does not compete with M. bergi in the fully exposed open conditions. It is most common in the small relatively open oak woods that develop in shallow depressions in the steppe, and on the edges of larger lakes, these become flooded in periods of high rainfall and the shade helps retain the soil moisture. Here colonies are quite small, at most a few hundred workers, and nests are usually built in the soil under small rotten branches, pieces of bark or even leaves. The nuptial flight is in August-September.

This is a rather local species in Europe but likely to be overlooked through confusion with Myrmica scabrinodis in the female castes and may well occur in other areas of southern Fennoscandia. It is a more slender species with a broader frons, narrow petiole and more spherical postpetiole. The male resembles that of Myrmica rugulosa but has the petiole longer and lower with a much flattened dorsal area. In England and Denmark nests occurred in coastal sand and gravel banks with a simple entrance hole. Workers behave more aggressively than M. scabrinodis and sting freely. Alatae have been found in August and September.

Nomenclature

 *  specioides. Myrmica specioides Bondroit, 1918: 100 (w.q.m.) BELGIUM. Junior synonym of scabrinodis: Emery, 1921f: 40; Sadil, 1952: 249; Bernard, 1967: 116; of rugulosoides: Santschi, 1931b: 342. Revived from synonymy: Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 57; Collingwood, 1979: 56; Seifert, 1988b: 16. Senior synonym of puerilis: Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 57; of balcanica: Pisarski, 1975: 12; Kutter, 1977c: 70; Seifert, 1988b: 16; of scabrinodoides, striata: Collingwood, 1979: 56. Junior synonym of bessarabica: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 93. Revived from synonymy: Seifert, 1994: 11; Seifert, 1996b: 146 (in key); Radchenko, Czechowski & Czechowska, 1997: 488; Seifert, 2002a: 95; Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229. Senior synonym of balcanica, nevodovskii, puerilis, sancta, scabrinodoides, striata, tschuliensis: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284. Senior synonym of sancta: Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229; of silvestrianum: Güsten, Schulz & Sanetra, 2006: 29; of dolens: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284; of dolens, kozakorum, turcica: Seifert, 2011: 183.
 * silvestrianum. Tetramorium silvestrianum Emery, 1924c: 167, fig. A1 (w.) SPAIN. Junior synonym of Tetramorium forte: Collingwood, 1978: 71. Combination in Myrmica: Güsten, Schulz & Sanetra, 2006: 29. Junior synonym of specioides: Güsten, Schulz & Sanetra, 2006: 29.
 * nevodovskii. Leptothorax (Leptothorax) nevodovskii Karavaiev, 1926c: 164, fig. 3 (w.) GEORGIA. Junior synonym of bessarabica: Arakelian, 1994: 23; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * sancta. Myrmica scabrinodis var. sancta Karavaiev, 1926f: 67, fig. 4 (w.) UKRAINE. Seifert, 1988b: 21 (q.m.). Junior synonym of scabrinodis: Stitz, 1939: 90; Sadil, 1952: 249; of specioides: Kutter, 1977c: 70. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1840; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 532; Seifert, 1988b: 21. Junior synonym of bessarabica: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 182; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 93; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * striata. Myrmica rugulosoides var. striata Finzi, 1926: 96, fig. 7 (w.q.m.) ITALY. Subspecies of scabrinodis: Santschi, 1931b: 344. Junior synonym of specioides: Collingwood, 1979: 56; Güsten, et al. 2006: 29; of hellenica: Seifert, et al. 2009: 68; of specioides: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * puerilis. Myrmica puerilis Stärcke, 1942c: xxvii, figs. 1-3, 5 (w.q.m.) NETHERLANDS. Material of the nomina nuda atlantica, neglecta referred here: Stärcke, 1942c: xxvii. Junior synonym of specioides: Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969: 57; Seifert, 1988b: 16.
 * dolens. Myrmica puerilis ab. dolens Stärcke, 1942c: xxvii (w.q.m.) NETHERLANDS. Subspecies of bessarabica: Bolton, 1995b: 278. Subspecies of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication). Junior synonym of specioides: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284; Seifert, 2011: 183.
 * balcanica. Myrmica (Myrmica) balcanica Sadil, 1952: 253, figs. V, 1-18; VIII, 24; IX, 21; X, 8 (w.q.m.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA, SERBIA, BULGARIA. Junior synonym of sancta: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1840; of specioides: Pisarski, 1975: 12; Kutter, 1977c: 70; Seifert, 1988b: 16; of bessarabica: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 182; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 93; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * scabrinodoides. Myrmica (Myrmica) balcanica var. scabrinodoides Sadil, 1952: 255, figs. V, 9-13; VII, 37; IX, 34; XI, 10, 11 (w.q.m.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Junior synonym of specioides: Pisarski, 1975: 12; Kutter, 1977c: 70; Seifert, 1988b: 16; of bessarabica: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 93; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * tshuliensis. Myrmica sancta subsp. tshuliensis Arnol'di, 1976a: 553 (w.q.m.) TURKMENISTAN. Junior synonym of bessarabica: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 182; of specioides: Seifert, 2002a: 95 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 229 (by implication); Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 284.
 * kozakorum. Myrmica kozakorum Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 172, figs. 140-142 (w.q.m.) UKRAINE. Junior synonym of specioides: Seifert, 2011: 183.
 * turcica. Myrmica scabrinodis var. turcica Santschi, 1931b: 343 (w.q.) TURKEY. Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 314 (m.). Raised to species: Seifert, 1988b: 18. Junior synonym of specioides: Seifert, 2011: 183. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2004: 230; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 312.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Bondroit 1918.pdf|Bondroit, J. 1918. Les fourmis de France et de Belgique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 87: 1-174 PDF]]
 * Seifert, B. 2011. A taxonomic revision of the Eurasian Myrmica salina species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Soil Organisms 83: 169-186.