Temnothorax crassistriatus

A diurnal species inhabiting deciduous bushes, forests edges or phrygana. Workers have been collected in litter or on rocks.

Identification
Salata et al. (2018) – Temnothorax crassistriatus differs from other Cretan species in combination of the following features: absence of metanotal groove, thick and sparse striation covering head surface and lack of reticulation on it, low and round petiole node, and presence of thick and dense longitudinal striation on petiole and postpetiole. On Crete it can be confused only with Temnothorax minotaurosi from which it differs in lack of smooth and shiny area on frons, thicker longitudinal striation on mesosoma and bicolor body colouration. From species known outside the Crete it is most similar to: Temnothorax alpinus from which it differs in brighter body coloration, longer propodeal spines and lack of reticulation on head; Temnothorax anodontoides from which it differs in presence of propodeal spines and lack of reticulation on head and bicolored body; Temnothorax arnoldii from which it differs in lack of reticulation on head and mesosoma and lower petiole node.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 *  crassistriatus. Temnothorax crassistriatus Salata, Borowiec & Trichas, 2018: 773, figs. 6-10 (w.) GREECE (Crete).

Worker
(n=5): HL: 0.716 ± 0.03 (0.681-0.771); HW: 0.594 ± 0.03 (0.569-0.637); SL: 0.511 ± 0.03 (0.48-0.559); EL: 0.163 ± 0.006 (0.156-0.168); EW: 0.121 ± 0.006 (0.112-0.128); ML: 0.856 ± 0.08 (0.793-1.006); PSL: 0.192 ± 0.01 (0.179-0.212); SDL: 0.13 ± 0.009 (0.123-0.145); PL: 0.344 ± 0.02 (0.325-0.38); PPL: 0.198 ± 0.01 (0.178-0.218); PH: 0.237 ± 0.01 (0.223-0.257); PPH: 0.239 ± 0.02 (0.223-0.268); HTL: 0.486 ± 0.03 (0.436-0.514); PNW: 0.422 ± 0.01 (0.402- 0.446); PW: 0.184 ± 0.01 (0.167-0.201); PPW: 0.255 ± 0.008 (0.245-0.268); HI: 83.0 ± 1.2 (80.8-84.0); SI1: 71.3 ± 0.9 (70.5-72.5); SI2: 85.9 ± 1.5 (84.1-87.8); MI: 54.9 ± 3.2 (51.1-60.5); EI1: 73.9 ± 1.5 (71.8-76.2); EI2: 16.8 ± 0.4 (16.4-17.3); TI: 127.1 ± 5.3 (118.5-133.8); PI: 145.0 ± 5.3 (136.2-150.2); PPI: 82.6 ± 2.4 (79.8-85.5).

Head and mesosoma brick-red to orange. Sometimes frons and occipital part of the head darker, brown to black. Gaster orange to dark orange, tergites with thin, black, transverse band apically. Legs orange, sometimes tibia with black apical margin. Antennae orange, flagellum with darker club.

Head quadrate, 1.2 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes straight, gently convex on the posterior edges, occipital margin of head straight or slightly concave. Anterior margin of the clypeus slightly convex. Eyes small, oval, 1.3 times as long as wide. Antennal scape short, in lateral view slightly curved, 0.7 times as long as length of the head, in apex gradually widened, its base with small, triangular tooth, funiculus long, club 3 segmented. Surface of scape with very fine micro reticulation, shiny, covered with thin, dense, adpressed setae. Mandibles round ed with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny. Clypeus shiny with thick, longitudinal striae, area between striae smooth and shiny. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, with sparse, thick roundly curved striae, area between striae smooth and shiny. Frontal lobes narrow, smooth with thick longitudinal striae. Head covered on the whole surface with thick, longitudinal striation, area between striae smooth and shiny. Upper sides of genae and posterior part of head with weaker, but still visible, sculpture, never smooth. Entire head bearing suberect to erect, pale and thick setae.

Mesosoma elongate, 2.0 times as long as wide, slightly arched in profile. Pronotum convex on sides. Propodeal spines from short to long, narrow, with wide base, directed upward, with acute tips. Mesosoma on the whole surface with sparse, thick and visible longitudinal striation, area between striae smooth or with diffuse microreticulation, always shiny. Dorsal surface of mesosoma bearing short, sparse erect setae.

Petiole, in lateral view, with short peduncle, node low, with anterior and posterior faces bended, its dorsal surface arched. Postpetiole, in lateral view, regularly convex, apical half with gently convex sides. Peduncle with thick striation, area between striae smooth or with punctuation, shiny. Petiolar node and postpetiole dorsum shiny, with thick, dense striation, area between striae smooth or with slight microreticulation. Petiole and postpetiole on dorsal surfaces bearing sparse, short, semierect to erect setae.

Gaster smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae. Legs short, shiny, with fine microreticulation. Tibiae 0.7 times as long as head length, bearing adpressed setae on the whole surface. Inner margins of tibia and femora without erect setae.

Type Material
Holotype (w.) (CAS ENT0845902): GREECE Crete Lasithi, Prov. Limnakarou Plateau, 1130 m, 35°08’N 25°28’E , 26.04.14., S. Salata ; paratype (w.) (CASENT 0845903): the same data as holotype.

Etymology
The new species name “crassistriatus” refers to the thick striation covering workers mesosoma (lat. crassi – thick, striatae – striation).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Salata S., L. Borowiec, and A.Trichas. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Cretan Fauna of the Genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Notes on the Endemism of Ant Fauna of Crete. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 68(4): 769-808.
 * 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.