Myrmica scabrinodis

Identification
Yellow red to blackish brown according to habitat. The antennal scape is sharply angled and sinuate near the base, often with a slight lateral extension in the larger more deeply sculptured forms. The petiole has a distinctly concave anterior face which meets the truncate dorsal surface at a sharp angle. Head Index: 85.6; Frons Index: 36.8; Frontal Laminae Index: 66.5. Length: 4.0-5.0 mm. (Collingwood 1979)

Distribution
Throughout Europe.

This taxon was described from Finland. This ant is also found in the United States, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Denmark, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Croatia, Montenegro, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - The species has variable habits, being found in a very wide range of habitats. In southern areas it is often associated with the meadow ant Lasius flavus (Fabr.) living in part of the mound nest and preying on the L. flavus workers but may be equally common in woodland, coastal sand, gravel river banks, peat bogs and moorland. Individual nests are small, situated under stones, in tree stumps or in the ground with a few hundred workers and one or a few queens. The alatae fly in August, pairing occurring in the air.

Nomenclature

 *  scabrinodis. Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander, 1846a: 930 (w.q.m.) FINLAND. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953a: 119 (l.); Hauschteck, 1965: 325 (k.); Wasmann, 1891: 298 (gynandromorph). Subspecies of rubra: Forel, 1874: 76; Emery & Forel, 1879: 460; Emery, 1895c: 313; Forel, 1904b: 374; Wheeler, W.M. 1908g: 406. Status as species: Saunders, E. 1880: 215; Nasonov, 1889: 36; Emery, 1898c: 126; Emery, 1908a: 174; Bondroit, 1912: 351; Stitz, 1914: 71; Donisthorpe, 1915d: 125; Forel, 1915d: 29; Karavaiev, 1916: 504; Emery, 1916b: 120; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 504; Bondroit, 1918: 101; Santschi, 1921a: 110; Menozzi, 1922b: 325; Müller, 1923: 43; Finzi, 1926: 98; Karavaiev, 1926b: 95; Santschi, 1931b: 341; Bernard, 1967: 116; Tarbinsky, 1976: 41; Kutter, 1977c: 69; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 534; Collingwood, 1979: 55; Seifert, 1988b: 27; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 95. Senior synonym of pilosiscapus: Kutter, 1977c: 69; Collingwood, 1979: 55; Seifert, 1988b: 27; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990a: 137; of rugulosoides: Bernard, 1967: 116; Banert & Pisarski, 1972: 350; Collingwood, 1979: 55; Seifert, 1984b: 1; of ahngeri: Radchenko, 1994e: 79; of reticulata: Seifert, 1988b: 27; of scabrinodosabuleti: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 259; of symbiotica: Csősz, 2012: 28. Material of the nomen nudum rugosa referred here by Mayr, 1855: 411. See also: Radchenko, 2007: 29; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 259.
 * rugulosoides. Myrmica scabrinodis var. rugulosoides Forel, 1915d: 29 (w.) SWITZERLAND. Kutter, 1924: 8 (q.m.). Subspecies of scabrinodis: Kutter, 1924: 8; Santschi, 1931b: 342; Stitz, 1939: 93; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 79. Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 102; Müller, 1923: 42; Finzi, 1926: 94; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 30; Kutter, 1977c: 68. Junior synonym of scabrinodis: Bernard, 1967: 116; Banert & Pisarski, 1972: 350; Collingwood, 1979: 55; Seifert, 1984b: 1; Seifert, 1988b: 27.
 * pilosiscapus. Myrmica pilosiscapus Bondroit, 1920a: 147, fig. 1 (w.q.m.) BELGIUM. [Also described as new by Bondroit, 1920b: 301.] Subspecies of scabrinodis: Finzi, 1926: 102; Santschi, 1931b: 343; Stitz, 1939: 94. Status as species: Sadil, 1952: 256; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1842; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 26. Junior synonym of sabuleti: Bernard, 1967: 117; Boven, 1977: 120; of scabrinodis: Kutter, 1977c: 69; Collingwood, 1979: 55; Seifert, 1988b: 27; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990a: 137.
 * reticulata. Myrmica rolandi var reticulata Stärcke, 1942c: xxv (w.q.m.) SPAIN. [First available use of Myrmica scabrinodis st. rolandi var. reticulata Santschi, 1931b: 344; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of scabrinodis: Seifert, 1988b: 27.
 * scabrinodosabuleti. Myrmica (Myrmica) scabrinodis var. scabrinodosabuleti Sadil, 1952: 253, figs. IV, 13-15; VII, 17-19 (w.m.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Junior synonym of sabuleti: Radchenko, 1994e: 80; of scabrinodis: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 259.
 * symbiotica. Sommimyrma symbiotica Menozzi, 1925d: 25, fig. 1 (w.) ITALY. Combination in Myrmica: Bolton, 1988a: 4. Junior synonym of scabrinodis: Csősz, 2012: 28. See also: Kutter, 1973c: 256; Radchenko & Elmes, 2003a: 224; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 299.

Additional References

 * Bagherian Yazdi, A., Munch, W. & Seifert, B. 2012. A first demonstration of interspecific hybridization in Myrmica ants by geometric morphometrics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 17, 121-131.
 * Csősz, S. 2012. Nematode infection as significant source of unjustified taxonomic descriptions in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News, 17, 27-31.