Plagiolepis pygmaea

A widespread south-European species, with some related forms occurring in the Mediterranean region (Rigato & Toni, 2011).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Armenia, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Israel, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Nomenclature

 *  pygmaea. Formica pygmaea Latreille, 1798: 45 (w.q.) FRANCE. Schenck, 1852: 69 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 135 (l.). Combination in Plagiolepis: Mayr, 1861: 43. Senior synonym of dufourii: Menozzi, 1925a: 19 (footnote); of obscuriscapus: Boer, 2008: 486. Current subspecies: nominal plus bulawayensis, mima, minu. See also: Stitz, 1939: 231; Kutter, 1977c: 185; Sharaf, Aldawood & Taylor, 2011: 207.
 * dufourii. Micromyrma dufourii Perris, 1878: 382 (w.) FRANCE. Junior synonym of Tapinoma erraticum: Dalla Torre, 1893: 165; Emery, 1913a: 40; Forel, 1915d: 43; of Plagiolepis pygmaea: Menozzi, 1925a: 19 (footnote).
 * obscuriscapus. Plagiolepis pygmaea var. obscuriscapus Santschi, 1923a: 137 (w.) ITALY. Stärcke, 1936: 278 (q.). Raised to species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 57. Junior synonym of pygmaea: Boer, 2008: 486.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Boer 2008.pdf|Boer, P. 2008. Plagiolepis obscuriscapa Santschi, 1923, a junior synonym of Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille, 1798) and the use of pigmentation as a discriminating character in ant taxonomy. Zoologische Mededelingen (Leiden) 82: 485-488. PDF]]
 * Rigato, F.; Toni, I. 2011. Short notes 21. Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Pp. 873-882 in: Nardi, G.; Whitmore, D.; Bardiani, M.; Birtele, D.; Mason, F.; Spada, L.; Cerretti, P. (eds.) 2011. Biodiversity of Marganai and Montimannu (Sardinia). Research in the framework of the ICP Forests network. Conservazione Habitat Invertebrati, 5. Sommacampagna, Verona: Cierre Edizioni, 896 pp.
 * Sharaf, M.R., Aldawood, S.A., Taylor, B. 2011. The formicine ant genus Plagiolepis Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with description of two new species. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 137:203-215.