Aphaenogaster gibbosa

This ant was observed on larvae of Lampides boeticus that were feeding on Erophaca baetica in Sierra Morena, southern Spain. A. gibbosa has also been associated with the butterfly Lampides boeticus (Obregon et al. 2015).

Identification
A member of the Aphaenogaster gibbosa-group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia. Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Israel, Montenegro, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Russian Federation, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan.

Biology
Gonçalves et al (2017) found Aphaenogaster gibbosa to be abundant in the Iberian vineyards they sampled (pitfall trapping).

Nomenclature

 *  gibbosa. Formica gibbosa Latreille, 1798: 50 (w.m.) FRANCE. Emery, 1908c: 333 (q.). Combination in Aphaenogaster: Dalla Torre, 1893: 107; in Stenamma (Aphaenogaster): Emery, 1895c: 303; in Aphaenogaster: Emery, 1908c: 332; in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Menozzi, 1921: 26. Subspecies of testaceopilosa: Emery & Forel, 1879: 463; of subterranea: Dalla Torre, 1893: 107; Emery, 1895b: 71. Revived status as species: Emery, 1908c: 332. See also: Emery, 1916b: 130; Bondroit, 1918: 157; Santschi, 1923f: 328; Stitz, 1939: 116; Kutter, 1977c: 78; Attanasov & Dlussky, 1992: 109. Senior synonym of striola: Emery, 1895c: 303; of barcinensis, laevior Forel: Collingwood, 1978: 67; of chorassanica, muschtaidica: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 212. Current subspecies: nominal plus fiorii, homonyma.
 * striola. Atta striola Roger, 1859: 252 (w.m.) SPAIN. Emery, 1869b: 17 (q.). Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 29. Junior synonym of gibbosa: Emery, 1895c: 303.
 * laevior. Aphaenogaster striola var. laevior Forel, 1892g: 453 (w.) SPAIN. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of laevior Emery, above.] Subspecies of gibbosa: Emery, 1908c: 334. Junior synonym of gibbosa: Collingwood, 1978: 67.
 * muschtaidica. Aphaenogaster gibbosa subsp. muschtaidica Emery, 1908c: 334 (w.) RUSSIA. [First available use of Aphaenogaster subterranea subsp. gibbosa var. muschtaidica Ruzsky, 1905b: 719; unavailable name.] Combination in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 58. Raised to species: Collingwood, 1985: 246. Junior synonym of gibbosa: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 212.
 * barcinensis. Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma) gibbosa var. barcinensis Menozzi, 1922b: 325 (w.q.) SPAIN. Junior synonym of gibbosa: Collingwood, 1978: 67.
 * chorassanica. Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma) gibbosa subsp. chorassanica Arnol'di, 1968: 1805 (w.q.m.) TURKMENIA. Junior synonym of gibbosa: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 212.