Prenolepis nitens

Prenolepis nitens has been reported to be active during winter at approximately 2℃–3℃ (Lőrinczi, 2016). It is an uncommon species in Greece, although it is known from all mainland provinces, Aegean Islands and Ionian Islands. It prefers deciduous and mixed forests. In Achaia, it was collected in a stream valley with plane trees inside coniferous forest (Borowiec & Salata, 2021).

Identification
Williams and LaPolla (2016) - Obtusely angled propodeum with flat dorsal and posterior faces; entire cuticle smooth and shiny; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations.

This species is nearly identical to Prenolepis imparis in worker morphology, but has a more robust mesosoma at the mesonotal constriction. The male genitalia of P. nitens bear a few key differences from those of P. imparis: (1) in P. nitens the genitalia are oriented posteriorly and in P. imparis they are oriented ventrally, curving downward; (2) in P. nitens the ental surface of the parameres is strongly concave and scoop-like and in P. imparis the ental surface is flattened; (3) in P. nitens the cuspi are longer; and (4) the genitalia of P. nitens are overall less hirsute than those of P. imparis.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Nomenclature

 *  nitens. Tapinoma nitens Mayr, 1853a: 144 (w.) AUSTRIA. André, 1882b: 205 (q.m.). Combination in Prenolepis: Mayr, 1861: 52. Junior synonym of imparis: Emery, 1893i: 635. Subspecies of imparis: Dalla Torre, 1893: 178; Forel, 1895d: 229; Ruzsky, 1905b: 262; Emery, 1910a: 128; Emery, 1914d: 159; Wheeler, W.M. 1930b: 19; Novak & Sadil, 1941: 99; Röszler, 1942a: 56. Status as species: Finzi, 1922: 120; Müller, 1923: 118; Emery, 1925b: 225; Baroni Urbani, 1962: 136; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 556. Senior synonym of crepusculascens: Roger, 1862b: 256; of polita: Roger, 1863b: 10.
 * polita. Tapinoma polita Smith, F. 1855a: 112 (w.) GREAT BRITAIN. Junior synonym of nitens: Roger, 1863b: 10.
 * crepusculascens. Formica crepusculascens Roger, 1859: 238 (q.) TURKEY. Junior synonym of nitens: Roger, 1862b: 256.

Worker
Williams and LaPolla (2016) - (n=29): CMC: 14–18; EL: 0.24–0.29; EW: 0.20–0.22; HL: 0.77–0.94; HLA: 0.40–0.48; HLP: 0.21–0.30; HW: 0.70–0.90; IOD: 0.47–0.55; LF1: 0.20–0.25; LF2: 0.09–0.12; LHT: 1.03– 1.14; MMC: 2–3; MTW: 0.41–0.50; MW: 0.28–0.37; PDH: 0.29–0.38; PMC: 3–5; PrCL: 0.45–0.50; PrCW: 0.25– 0.31; PrFL: 0.76–0.93; PrFW: 0.17–0.22; PTH: 0.37–0.38; PTL: 0.32–0.38; PTW: 0.26–0.33; PW: 0.48–0.57; SL: 0.93–1.11; TL: 2.80–3.93; WF1: 0.06–0.08; WF2: 0.06–0.08; WL: 0.94–1.30; BLI: 123–144; CI: 90–100; EPI: 160– 211; FLI: 203–240; HTI: 135–141; PetHI: 119–121; PetWI: 81–86; PrCI: 53–62; PrFI: 22–25; REL: 28–34; REL2: 30–36; REL3: 49–57; SI: 119–135.

Light to dark brown with head and gaster sometimes darker than mesosoma; entire cuticle smooth and shiny; abundant decumbent setae on scapes and legs; erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; head about as broad as long and square in shape with rounded posterolateral corners and a straight posterior margin; eyes moderately large and convex, but not surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; torulae overlap with the posterior border of the clypeus; anterior border of clypeus with a pair of prominent anterolateral lobes; mandibles with 6 teeth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations; in profile view, propodeum is obtusely angled with a flat dorsal face; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled and forward-inclined.

Queen
Williams and LaPolla (2016) - (n=1): EL: 0.47; HL: 1.24; HW: 1.46; SL: 1.44; TL: 8.51; WL: 2.76; BLI: 189; CI: 118; REL: 38; REL2: 32; SI: 99. Much larger and distinctly lighter in color than male; light to medium brown; abundant short, erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; entire cuticle covered in dense pubescence; head broader than long and square in shape; three ocelli present; compound eyes large and convex, barely surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; antennae with 12 segments; scapes long, surpassing the posterior margin of the head; mandibles with 6 teeth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with longitudinal striations; mesosoma large to accommodate flight muscles and without a constriction; small collar-like pronotum; large and strongly convex shelf-like mesonotum; petiole is forward-inclined and triangular, as seen in worker; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled.

Male
Williams and LaPolla (2016) - (n=1): EL: 0.40; HL: 0.74; HW: 0.79; SL: 0.73; TL: 3.53; WL: 1.46; BLI: 184; CI: 107; REL: 54; REL2: 50; SI: 92. Much smaller and distinctly darker than queen; dark brown; abundant long, erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; entire cuticle covered in dense pubescence; head broader than long and oval in shape; three large ocelli present; compound eyes very large and convex, surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; antennae with 13 segments; scapes very short, barely surpassing the posterior margin of the head; mandibles with a single apical tooth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations; mesosoma large to accommodate flight muscles and without a constriction; small collar-like pronotum; large and strongly convex shelf-like mesonotum; petiole is forward-inclined and triangular, as seen in worker; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled; genitalia oriented posteriorly; parameres elongate, roughly triangular, and curved medially; ental surface of parameres strongly concave; digiti are long and slender; cuspi are broad, triangular, and short relative to the rest of the genitalia; parameres are covered in very long, erect macrosetae; edges of cuspi are covered in short, erect macrosetae; 9th sternite is large and broad.

Type Material
Williams and LaPolla (2016) - Syntype worker, Slovenia: Siska, Ljubljana (Hauff) (: CASENT0915728) [examined]. Syntype worker, (no specific locality provided) (: FOCOL2729) [not examined]. André, 1882: 205 (q. m.). 2 syntype queens, (no specific locality provided) (ZMHB: FOCOL2728, FOCOL2730) [not examined]. Syntype male(s?), (no specific locality provided) (depository unknown) [not examined].

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