Temnothorax incompletus

The single known worker of this species was collected on litter in an area overgrown by macchia.

Identification
Salata et al. (2018) - Temnothorax incompletus differs from all other Cretan species by its bright yellow body colouration and the presence of a dark, interrupted transverse band on the first gastral tergite. The only species known to have these features are members of the T. interruptus group. Temnothorax incompletus differs from them in lacking frontal lobes that are wider than the frons.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 *  incompletus. Temnothorax incompletus Salata, Borowiec & Trichas, 2018: 783, figs. 31-36 (w.) GREECE (Crete).

Worker
(n=2): HL: 0.581-0.615; HW: 0.446-0.503; SL: 0.413-0.441; EL: 0.112-0.123; EW: 0.078- 0.078; ML: 0.603-0.682; PSL: 0.123-0.123; SDL: 0.089- 0.101; PL: 0.235-0.274; PPL: 0.156-0.156; PH: 0.165- 0.179; PPH: 0.156-0.207; HTL: 0.359-0.391; PNW: 0.302- 0.352; PW: 0.14-0.134; PPW: 0.184-0.19; HI: 76.8-0.81.8; SI1: 71.1-71.7; SI2: 92.6-87.7; MI: 59.5-57.3; EI1: 69.6- 63.4; EI2: 13.4-12.7; TI: 124.2-128.6; PI: 142.4-153.1; PPI: 100.0-75.4.

Whole body uniformly bright yellow. Only first tergite of gaster with dark brown apical band, widest laterally and gradually narrowing to the centre, interrupted in the central part by pale brown colour.

Head quadrate, 1.2 times as long as wide, lateral surfaces below and above eyes straight, posterior edges gently convex, occipital margin of head slightly concaved. Anterior margin of the clypeus slightly convex. Eyes small, oval, 1.5 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 microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, dense, adpressed setae. Mandibles rounded with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny. Clypeus shiny, with thin, sparse, longitudinal striae, area between striae smooth and shiny. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, with a few roundly curved striae, area between striae smooth and shiny. Frontal lobes narrow, smooth and shiny. Head shiny, covered on the whole surface with very sparse, shallow and thick reticulation, area between reticulation smooth. Frons, in the central part with reduced sculpture. Occipital part of head with smooth areas. Suberect to erect, pale, short and thick setae only on frons and occipal part of head.

Mesosoma elongate, 2.0 times as long as wide, slightly arched in profile. Pronotum convex on sides. Propodeal spines short, triangular, with wide base, directed upward, with convex tips. Dorsal surface of mesosoma shiny, with very thin, sparse and shallow reticulation, sculpture reduced on the center of pronotum, area between reticulation smooth. Lateral surfaces of mesosoma shiny, with thin, sparse reticulation, on mesonotum reticulation occurs together with a few longitudinal striae, area between sculpture smooth. Entire mesosoma bearing suberect to erect, pale, short and thick setae.

Petiole, in lateral view, with long peduncle, node high, with anterior and posterior faces straight, its dorsal surface arched. Postpetiole, in lateral view, regularly convex, apical half with gently convex sides. Peduncle and petiolar node and postpetiole dorsum shiny, with thin, sparse reticulation, area between rugae smooth. 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 0.6 times as long as head length, bearing adpressed setae on the whole surface. Inner margins of tibia without a row of erect setae.

Type Material
Holotype (w.) (CAS ENT0845913): Greece, Crete, Rethymno Pr., Vistagi, 35°14.699 N/24°41.516 E, 16 V 2013, 563 m, S. Salata ; Paratype (w.) (CASENT0845914): Greece, Crete, Lasithi, dis. Prina, 350 m, 35°05N, /25°42E, 31.01.00, Nikolakakis.

Etymology
Name refers to incomplete band on the dorsal surface on the first tergite of gaster (lat. incomplete).

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.