Myrmica lobicornis

Identification
Bicoloured reddish brown with head and gaster characteristically darker. Upright tooth-like process at the bend of the antennal scape, frequently very large in Scandinavian samples but very variable in size over its whole geographic range. Frons about 1/3 head width. Petiole high with anterior and dorsal surfaces meeting at a right angle. Postpetiole broadly oval from above. Head Index: 87.8; Frons Index: 30.8; Frontal Laminae Index: 65.5. Length: 4.0-5.0 mm. (Collingwood 1979)

Distribution
Western Europe.

This taxon was described from Finland. It is also found in Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - It is a mountain species in Central and S. Europe but in the north occurs equally on lowland heath and in open woodland. Although widely distributed it is not abundant and occurs in isolated single queen colonies nesting in peat or under stones. It is commonly found as single foraging workers and is one of the least aggressive members of the genus.

Nomenclature

 *  lobicornis. Myrmica lobicornis Nylander, 1846a: 932, pl. 18, figs, 32, 33 (w.q.) FINLAND. Nylander, 1849: 31 (m.); Hauschteck, 1965: 325 (k.). Subspecies of rubra: Forel, 1874: 76; Emery & Forel, 1879: 463; Wheeler, W.M. 1906c: 316; of scabrinodis: Mayr, 1886d: 451; Ruzsky, 1905b: 693; Emery, 1908a: 179. Status as species: Saunders, E. 1880: 216; André, 1883a: 318; Nasonov, 1889: 35; Forel, 1892i: 315; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 134; Forel, 1915d: 28; Emery, 1916b: 120; Bondroit, 1918: 105; Finzi, 1926: 106; Stärcke, 1927: 76; Santschi, 1931b: 347; Collingwood, 1958b: 73; Bernard, 1967: 122; Kutter, 1977c: 66; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 534; Collingwood, 1979: 51; Seifert, 1988b: 38; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 101. Senior synonym of alpestris, angustifrons: Seifert, 1988b: 38; of arduennae: Donisthorpe, 1915d: 134; Bernard, 1967: 122; Boven, 1977: 119; Seifert, 1988b: 38; of burtshakabramovitshi: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842; of denticornis: Mayr, 1861: 63; Seifert, 1988b: 38; of foreli: Bernard, 1967: 122; Seifert, 1988b: 38; of kieviensis: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842; of lissahorensis: Bernard, 1967: 122; Seifert, 1988b: 38; of starki: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842; Seifert, 1988b: 38; of brunescens: Radchenko, 1994g: 87. Material of the nomen nudum nodicornis referred here by Donisthorpe, 1915d: 134. See also: Radchenko, 2007: 29; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 185.
 * denticornis. Myrmica denticornis Curtis, 1854: 215, figs. 18, 19 (w.m.) GREAT BRITAIN. Smith, F. 1855b: 121 (q.). Junior synonym of lobicornis: Mayr, 1861: 63.
 * arduennae. Myrmica lobicornis var. arduennae Bondroit, 1911: 12 (w.q.m.) BELGIUM. Raised to species: Bondroit, 1918: 105. Subspecies of lobicornis: Emery, 1921f: 38; Menozzi, 1925d: 24; Finzi, 1926: 108; Sadil, 1952: 263. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Donisthorpe, 1915d: 134; Bernard, 1967: 122; Boven, 1977: 119; Seifert, 1988b: 38.
 * angustifrons. Myrmica lobicornis subsp. angustifrons Stärcke, 1927: 81, figs. 1, 3 (w.q.) GREAT BRITAIN. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Seifert, 1988b: 38.
 * brunescens. Myrmica (Myrmica) schencki var. brunescens Karavaiev, 1929b: 208 (w.) RUSSIA (North Caucasus). Subspecies of lobicornis: Santschi, 1931b: 350; Arnol'di, 1934: 167. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Radchenko, 1994g: 87.
 * burtshakabramovitshi. Myrmica (Myrmica) schencki var. burtshakabramovitshi Karavaiev, 1929b: 209, fig. 4 (w.) UKRAINE. Subspecies of lobicornis: Santschi, 1931b: 351; Arnol'di, 1934: 167; Karavaiev, 1934: 92. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842.
 * starki. Myrmica (Myrmica) schencki var. starki Karavaiev, 1929b: 208 (w.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842. See also: Karavaiev, 1931b: 29.
 * foreli. Myrmica lobicornis st. foreli Santschi, 1931b: 348, fig. 6 (w.q.) AUSTRIA. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Bernard, 1967: 122; Seifert, 1988b: 38.
 * alpestris. Myrmica lobicornis subsp. alpestris Arnol'di, 1934: 168, figs. 23-25 (w.m.) ARMENIA. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Seifert, 1988b: 38.
 * kieviensis. Myrmica (Myrmica) lobicornis var. kieviensis Karavaiev, 1934: 91, fig. 24 (w.) UKRAINE. Junior syonym of lobicornis: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842.
 * lissahorensis. Myrmica lobicornis subsp. lissahorensis Stitz, 1939: 100 (w.) CZECHIA. [First available use of Myrmica lobicornis subsp. lobicornis var. lissahorensis Stärcke, 1927: 79; unavailable name.] Subspecies of lobicornis: Weber, 1948a: 287. Junior synonym of lobicornis: Bernard, 1967: 122; Seifert, 1988b: 38.