Myrmica caucasicola

Inhabits mainly dry mountain forests at an altitude 700-1600 m.

Identification
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) – A member of the schencki species group and most resembles Myrmica schencki. Workers and queens differ from the latter mainly by their somewhat wider frons and by a much smaller lobe at the scape bend. Males of M. caucasicola have very long, erect hairs on the tibiae and tarsi and are hardly distinguishable from those of Myrmica ravasinii. On the other hand, this feature well discriminates males of both species from all other species of the schencki-group.

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

Nomenclature

 *  caucasicola. Myrmica schencki nat. caucasicola Arnol'di, 1934: 172, fig. 38-40 (w.m.) ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN. Radchenko, Elmes & Alicata, 2006: 519 (q.). Raised to species: Arakelian, 1994: 24; Radchenko, 1994a: 44; Radchenko, 1994c: 140 (in key); Radchenko, 1994f: 79. See also: Seifert, 2003b: 147; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 109.

Type Material
Seifert (2003) - Type Material Seen: One specimen from a syntype series of Arnoldi was washed off, cleaned, remounted, and designated as lectotype (by present designation); it is labelled "AZERBAIJDSHAN·Talysh Mountains, Nodus-galasi, 14.07.1929, leg. K.Arnoldi No A 4286"; depository SMN Goerlitz. 8 worker paralectotypes collected by K.Arnoldi in the Talysh mountains in July 1929, sample numbers A4237, A4286, A4294, A4282; ZMLSU Moskva. 2 paralectotype workers from Talysh, July 1929, leg K.Arnoldi, MZ Lausanne.

Etymology
Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - from the name Caucasus with the Latin suffixincola = inhabitant of, to indicate that this is a species of the Caucasus region that includes the type localities.