Camponotus piceus

This species is mainly distributed in southern and central Europe and in the southern part of eastern Europe, but it is also present in north-west Africa, Asia Minor, Lebanon, Iran, the Caucasus, and northern Kazakshtan (Czechowski et al. 2002). It is a xerothermophilous species living mostly in open, dry grasslands, and is ground-nesting. Workers are highly polymorphic (Marko et al., 2009; Rigato & Toni, 2011).

Distribution
Marko et al. (2009) - It is present throughout Romania. The occurrence of C. piceus sp. 2 (Seifert 2007) can also be expected, based on preliminary distribution data.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

Other Insects
This ant has been associated with the butterfly Glaucopsyche alexis (Obregon et al. 2015).

Nomenclature

 *  piceus. Formica picea Leach, 1825: 292 (w.q.m.) FRANCE. Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 1; in C. (Myrmentoma): Menozzi, 1921: 32. Subspecies of lateralis: Emery, 1891b: 21; Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; Finzi, 1924a: 14. Status as species: Emery, 1925a: 67; Karavaiev, 1927c: 277; Finzi, 1930d: 318; Kutter, 1977c: 207. Senior synonym of foveolata (and its junior synonym ebeninus): Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; Ruzsky, 1905b: 255; Kutter, 1977c: 207; of atricolor (and its junior synonym rectus), foveolata, merula: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 222; Radchenko, 2007: 37; of ebneri, nitidescens: Radchenko, 1997b: 706.
 * merula. Formica merula Losana, 1834: 313, pl.36, fig. 2 (w.) ITALY. Bondroit, 1918: 77 (s.q.m.). Combination in Camponotus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; in C. (Orthonotomyrmex): Müller, 1923: 162; in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925b: 120. Junior synonym of piceus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; Ruzsky, 1905b: 255; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 194; Kutter, 1977c: 207. Subspecies of lateralis: Emery, 1896d: 373; Emery, 1898c: 125; Ruzsky, 1902d: 7; Emery, 1916b: 226; Ruzsky, 1925b: 42. Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 77; Müller, 1923: 162; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 109; Bernard, 1967: 344; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 552. Junior synonym of piceus: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 222.
 * foveolata. Formica foveolata Mayr, 1853c: 277 (w.q.m.) HUNGARY. Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 1; in C. (Orthonotomyrmex): Forel, 1915d: 72. Junior synonym of lateralis: Mayr, 1855: 322; Nylander, 1856b: 58. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of lateralis: Forel, 1874: 40; Forel, 1892i: 306. Senior synonym of ebeninus: Forel, 1874: 40; Forel, 1879a: 94. Junior synonym of merulus: Emery, 1896d: 373; Emery, 1916b: 226. Junior synonym of piceus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; Ruzsky, 1905b: 255; Kutter, 1977c: 207; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 222.
 * ebeninus. Camponotus ebeninus Emery, 1869b: 2, pl. 1, fig. 2 (w.m.) ITALY. Junior synonym of foveolata: Forel, 1874: 40.
 * nitidescens. Camponotus kiesenwetteri r. nitidescens Forel, 1889: 260 (w.) GREECE. Combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925b: 121. Junior synonym of piceus: Radchenko, 1997b: 707.
 * rectus. Camponotus lateralis var. rectus Forel, 1892i: 306 (w.) BULGARIA. [Unresolved junior primary homonym of rectus Forel, above.] Subspecies of piceus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 238. Junior synonym of atricolor: Emery, 1896d: 373; Karavaiev, 1936: 191.
 * ebneri. Camponotus (Myrmentoma) lateralis var. ebneri Finzi, 1930c: 24 (w.) LEBANON. Junior synonym of piceus: Radchenko, 1997b: 706.
 * atricolor. Formica atricolor Nylander, 1849: 36 (w.) RUSSIA.
 * Combination in Camponotus: Roger, 1863b: 1.
 * Combination in C. (Myrmentoma): Emery, 1925a: 67; Emery, 1925b: 120.
 * Junior synonym of lateralis: Mayr, 1855: 322; Nylander, 1856b: 58; Smith, F. 1858b: 12 (first entry, see below); Mayr, 1863: 399; Roger, 1863b: 1; André, 1874: 201 (in list); Forel, 1874: 97 (in list); Emery & Forel, 1879: 448.
 * Subspecies of lateralis: Forel, 1874: 40; Forel, 1892i: 306; Forel, 1894d: 41; Emery, 1896d: 373 (in list); Ruzsky, 1902d: 7; Ruzsky, 1903b: 302; Forel, 1904b: 380; Ruzsky, 1905b: 254; Forel, 1906c: 189; Forel, 1911d: 355; Emery, 1914d: 159; Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1916: 174; Karavaiev, 1926e: 193; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929b: 36.
 * Subspecies of piceus: Emery, 1925a: 67; Karavaiev, 1927a: 295; Karavaiev, 1927c: 277 (in key).
 * Subspecies of merula: Novák & Sadil, 1941: 109 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of merulus: Bernard, 1967: 344.
 * Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 12 (second entry, see above); Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 552; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 283 (in key); Seifert, 2007: 155 (in key); Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 472; Borowiec, L. 2014: 27.
 * Senior synonym of rectus: Emery, 1896d: 373; Emery, 1925a: 70; Karavaiev, 1936: 191.
 * Junior synonym of piceus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 238; Karavaiev, 1936: 190 (redescription); Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 222; Bolton, 1995b: 87; Radchenko, 1997b: 706; Radchenko, 2007: 37; Legakis, 2011: 28; Radchenko, 2016: 334.