Cardiocondyla brachyceps

A nest sample from Georgia was collected on a sandy riverbank with scattered bushes (Seifert, 2023).

Identification
Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla elegans group. Cardiocondyla brachyceps workers are similar to eastern Cardiocondyla elegans workers, which may show an elongated petiolar peduncle as it is typical for C. brachyceps. Discrimination from C. elegans seems possible by the more strongly reticulate meso- and metapleurae which appear at lower magnifications more dull, contrasting the shining lateral parts of mesonotum and pronotum and by the orange-yellowish colour component of mesosoma.

Cardiocondyla brachyceps differs from any species of the C. batesii group by the shape of postpetiolar sternite, the elongated petiolar peduncle, the longer gastral pubescence, and the well-demarcated, bicoronate vertex foveolae with narrow interspaces.

Seifert (2023) - Relatively large, CS 559 µm. Head rather short, CL/CW 1.131. Postocular distance very low, PoOc/CL 0.380. Scape rather long, SL/CS 0.831. Eye rather large, EYE/CS 0.251. Occipital margin suggestively concave. Frons rather broad (FRS/CS 0.257), frontal carinae slightly converging immediately caudal of FRS level (FL/FR 1.044). Dorsal profile of promesonotum and of propodeum convex with a deep metanotal depression (Mgr/CS 4.39 %). Propodeal spines slightly longer and slightly thinner than in related species (SP/CS 0.128), their axis in profile deviating by about 35° from longitudinal axis of mesosoma, their bases more approached (SPBA/CS 0.237). Petiole narrower than in C. elegans and as high as wide (PeW/CS 0.299, PeH/CS 0.301); in profile with a long peduncle that is about 1.8 fold as long as wide and an extremely steep anterior slope of the node (about 85° relative to ventral profile). Postpetiole much narrower and lower than in related species (PpW/CS 0.522, PpH/CS 0.260), in dorsal view heard-shaped, with a concave anterior margin and convex sides; postpetiolar sternite with the anteromedian portion significantly more bulging than its anteroparamedian portion; in lateral view this anteromedian bulge forms a small, obtusely angled, rounded corner and changes into the helcium with a distinct angle. Frontal laminae, paramedian vertex, and lateral clypeus with weak longitudinal sculpture. vertex with strongly demarcated, bicoronate foveolae of 18–21 µm diameter; interspaces narrower than foveolar diameter, near to eyes larger; the interspaces between foveolae shiny and in places with fragments of a very delicate microreticulum. Mesosoma on most of its surface shining and with very fine microreticulum. Dorsal promesonotum finely longitudinally rugulose and with scattered bicoronate foveolae. Lateral meso- and metapleurae delicately longitudinally striate-reticulate; at lower magnifications appearing duller, contrasting the shining lateral parts of mesonotum and pronotum. Dorsum of waist glabrous except for a very delicate microreticulum. First gaster tergite glabrous. Pubescence on whole body long but less dense than in related species, PLg/CS 7.96 %, sqPDg 4.65. Color variable: head medium brown to blackish brown; mesosoma and petiole usually light orange-brown, in specimens with to dark brown mesosoma an orange-yellowish color component is still visible; postpetiole and gaster dark to blackish brown.

Cardiocondyla brachyceps is obviously a member of the C. elegans species group but differs from Cardiocondyla elegans, Cardiocondyla dalmatica and Cardiocondyla dalmaticoides by much narrower and lower waist segments, more dilute pubescence and the differing petiole profile (compare Figs. 7, 11, 15 and 19). In numeric terms, C. brachyceps is strongly separable from the other three species by a PCA of the characters PpH/CS, dFOv, SL/CS, PoOc/CL, sqPDg, SP/CS, PLg/CS and PeW/CS (Fig. 135).

Distribution
Seifert (2023) - From southern Georgia and northeastern Turkey (41.7°E) eastwards through Iran to eastern Afghanistan (69.5°E). The altitudinal range extends from 5 m in Georgia to 2000 m in Iran.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 * . Cardiocondyla brachyceps Seifert, 2003a: 228, fig. 23 (w.) IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, TURKEY.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 27 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Iran: Fars, 51 road-km. W Shiraz, Chehel Chesmeh, 1940 m., 17.ix.1997 (15) (Schödl); paratypes: 24 workers with same data, 3 workers Turkey: Taslica, 10 km. W Artvin, 1000 m., 2.vii.1989 (Schulz).
 * Type-depositories: NHMW (holotype); NHMW, SMNG (paratypes).
 * Status as species: Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 17; Borowiec, L. 2014: 45; Bračko, 2019: 170.
 * Distribution: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey.

Type Material

 * Holotype worker and 15 paratype workers labelled “Iran, Fars 1997 (15), 51 road-km W Shiraz, Chehel Chesmeh, 1940 m, 17.9.; leg. Schodl”,.
 * 9 worker paratypes from the same sample in.
 * 3 worker paratypes labelled “ARTVlN - Taslica, 10 km W Artvin, 1000 mH, Laubmischwald, Steinmauer, leg. Schulz 02.07.89 TURKEI",.

Worker
Head very short and rather straight-sided, CL/CW 1.132. Postocular distance small, PoOc/CL 0.381. Scape long, SL/CS 0.835. Occipital margin slightly excavated. Eyes moderately large, EYE 0.253. Frontal laminae, paramedian vertex, and lateral area of clypeus with weak longitudinal sculpture. Frontal carinae immediately posterior of FRS level parallel or converging. Vertex with strongly demarcated, bicoronate foveolae of 18 - 21 mm diameter; interspaces narrower than foveolar diameter. Most of mesosoma surface shining and with very fine microreticulum. Dorsal area of promesonotum finely longitudinally rugulose and with bicoronate foveolae. Meso- and metapleurae laterally reticulate; at lower magnifications appearing more dull, contrasting the shining lateral parts of mesonotum and pronotum. Propodeal spines relatively thin and steep. Dorsum of waist glabrous except for a very delicate microreticulum. Petiole with elongated peduncle that is about 1 .8x as long as wide; petiole node as high as wide, much wider than peduncle. Postpetiolar sternite with anteromedian portion significantly more bulging than anteroparamedian portion; in lateral view this anteromedian bulge forming small, obtusely-angled, rounded corner and changing into helcium with distinct angle. Pubescence longer. Colour variable: head medium brown to blackish brown; mesosoma and petiole usually light-orange-brown, in specimens with dark brown mesosoma orange-yellowish colour component still visible; postpetiole and gaster dark to blackish brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Paknia O., A. Radchenko, H. Alipanah, and M. Pfeiffer. 2008. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News 11: 151-159.
 * Seifert B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 104: 203-338.