Temnothorax recedens

A widespread, mainly western Mediterranean species occurring in southern Europe, Turkey and NW Africa (Rigato & Toni, 2011). It shows very wide habitat preferences, being found in deciduous forests, bushes growing along water sources, phrygana and in mountains. Nests are most often in soil, sometimes under stones or in rocks crevices. Workers have been collected in litter or on rocks. Colonies are polygynous (Salata, Borowiec & Trichas, 2018).

Identification
A member of the Temnothorax recedens group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Armenia, Balearic Islands, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Israel, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkmenistan.

Fungi
This species is a host for the endoparastic fungus Myrmicinosporidium durum (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

Nomenclature

 *  recedens. Myrmica recedens Nylander, 1856b: 94, pl. 3, fig. 41 (w.) FRANCE. Roger, 1859: 258 (q.); Forel, 1874: 83 (m.). Combination in Temnothorax: Mayr, 1861: 68; in Leptothorax (Temnothorax): Forel, 1890a: lxxii; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Senior synonym of pictus: Collingwood, 1978: 69; of ergatogyna, mordax: Dlussky & Soyunov, 1988: 31; of barbarus: Cagniant & Espadaler, 1997: 268. See also: Forel, 1915d: 27; Emery, 1916b: 186; Bernard, 1967: 186; Kutter, 1977c: 135; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 126.
 * mordax. Leptothorax (Temnothorax) mordax Santschi, 1919e: 242 (q.) SPAIN. Junior synonym of recedens: Dlussky & Soyunov, 1988: 31.
 * pictus. Leptothorax (Temnothorax) pictus Emery, 1924c: 166 (w.) SPAIN. Junior synonym of recedens: Collingwood, 1978: 69.
 * barbarus. Leptothorax (Temnothorax) recedens var. barbarus Santschi, 1939d: 76 (w.q.) TUNISIA. Junior synonym of recedens: Cagniant & Espadaler, 1997: 268.
 * ergatogyna. Leptothorax (Temnothorax) ergatogyna Bernard, 1950a: 17, fig. 3 (w.q.) FRANCE. Combination in Temnothorax: Bernard, 1967: 186. Junior synonym of recedens: Dlussky & Soyunov, 1988: 31.