Aphaenogaster cecconii

Endemic to Crete. Aphaenogaster cecconii has several unusual traits, including being adapted to living in shaded, damp, rocky areas and the chameleon-like back and forth swinging movements made by their slow-moving, foraging workers.

Identification
Borowiec and Salata (2014) - A member of the Aphaenogaster cecconii group. Within this group, A. cecconii has the most elongated body, constricted neck base and head sides straight posterior to the eyes. It is also the darkest-colored species, mostly dark brown to black with only the first gastral tergite having a pale, whitish to whitish-yellow spot. The only other Mediterranean species that is dark colored and possesses a distinct neck constriction, Aphaenogaster lykiaensis, differs in the body being brown to partly rusty brown, the first gastral tergite uniformly brown, the head constriction broader, and the sides of the head posterior to the eyes slightly bulging. The third dark species, Aphaenogaster jolantae, distinctly differs in having an elongately-oval head without a pronounced neck constriction, and the first gastral tergite is uniformly dark brown.

Distribution
Endemic to Crete.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Biology
Borowiec and Salata (2014) - Our observations of Aphaenogaster cecconii on Crete show that this species tends toward having a cavernicolous life. Nests occur in rock crevices, usually in natural caverns or caves, but they will also utilize human constructions such as ancient tombs, ruins, or the interior of concrete culverts under roads. Foragers avoid direct sunlight, staying near the entrance to the nest in shady and humid places. Workers have a distinctive way of moving: slow and often performing swinging movements back and forth on their long legs (reminiscent of the movements of chameleons). Their affinity for a microhabitat rarely explored by myrmecologists likely explains why these ants are not commonly collected and are known from few specimens. This led us to an extensive survey of ants in similar environments in other regions of the eastern Mediterranean and we discovered four new species of this group (Aphaenogaster cecconii group ) with similar habitat preferences (Aphaenogaster equestris, Aphaenogaster jolantae, Aphaenogaster lykiaensis and Aphaenogaster olympica).

A common species, A. cecconii forage within 70–100 cm of the nest entrance. In three cases we observed single workers crawling over large rocks in streams, likely transported there by the current after heavy rains. Foragers bring small plant seeds or pieces of stalks to the nest, but also small fragments of dead insects. When disturbed, the ants retreat swiftly into the nest entrance, remain immobile, or fall from the rock wall or stone onto the ground. During the day we did not see any peaks of high activity. Even during the heat of the day their habitats are shaded and workers forage in the area around the nest. It is not known if A. cecconii is active at night.

Nomenclature

 *  cecconii. Aphaenogaster (Ischnomyrmex) cecconii Emery, 1894j: 7, fig. (w.) GREECE. Combination in Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma): Emery, 1915d: 71.

Worker
Borowiec and Salata (2014) - (n=23): HL: 1.617 ± 0.135 (1.073–1.717); TL: 0.833 ± 0.08 (0.513–0.905); GL: 0.559 ± 0.06 (0.346—0.625); NW: 0.339 ± 0.04 (0.19–0.38); HW: 0.924 ± 0.096 (0.587–1.022); CW: 0.174 ± 0.018 (0.112–0.201); FLW: 0.331 ± 0.019 (0.279–0.363); SL: 2.314 ± 0.2 (1.579–2.452); EL: 0.260 ± 0.025 (0.179–0.291); EW: 0.203 ± 0.017 (0.145–0.226); ML: 2.433 ± 0.217 (1.587–2.618); PSL: 0.261 ± 0.036 (0.145–0.302); SDL: 0.221 ± 0.029 (0.123–0.259); HTL: 2.207 ± 0.222 (1.395–2.513); PL: 0.638 ± 0.048 (0.525–0.693); PPL: 0.449 ± 0.027 (0.369–0.492); PH: 0.367 ± 0.02 (0.313–0.421); PPH: 0.309 ± 0.0219.8 (0.254–0.346); PNW: 0.695 ± 0.0769.8 (0.425–0.754); DPSB: 0.219 ± 0.031 (0.117–0.268); DPST: 0.241 ± 0.032 (0.134–0.268); PW: 0.238 ± 0.027 (0.139–0.268); PPW: 0.3 ± 0.032 (0.179–0.346); CI: 57.2 ± 2.2 (50.1–60.2); CL: 18.9 ± 1.5 (16.4–22.9); FLI: 53.4 ± 3.4 (47.1–60); SI1: 143.2 ± 4.2 (128.8–148.7); SI2: 251.3 ± 12.1 (235.5–291.8); PI1: 173.9 ± 11.7 (151.7–197.1); PI2: 68.6 ± 3.4 (63–75.4); PPI1: 145.8 ± 8.5 (126.9–162.9); PPI2: 32.9 ± 1.8 (30.1–37); SPI1: 28.4 ± 1.9 (24.3–32.1); SPI2: 118.3 ± 7.9 (105.7–135.4); HTI: 239.6 ± 13.6 (221.1–280.5); MI: 350.7 ± 10.95 (327.2–373.4); PSI: 138 ± 7.7 (123.3–153.6) ; TGI: 149.18 ± 6.1 (139.7–163.7).

Head and thorax dark brown to black. Abdomen black, first tergite in anterior 1/3 length with whitish to yellow-whitish spot. Legs dark brown only tarsi yellowish to yellowish-brown, often trochanters, knee and apices of tibiae paler colored, yellowish-brown. Antennae yellowish, scapes with slightly infuscate apex. Head posterior to eyes with straight sides or only slightly rounded, strongly narrowed posteriad, at base forming narrow neck margined by sharp, high collar. Anterior margin of clypeus shallowly emarginated. Eyes small, 0.33 times as long as length of tempora. Scapes elongate and slim, 2.33 times as long as width of head, at base 0.73 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, straight, only apex slightly bent down with shallow preapical constriction. Funicle elongate and thin, 1.27–1.30 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, 3.3 times as long as wide on apex, 0.94 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments 100:107:107:103:100:100:107:127:123:120:173, apical segments 1.5 times as wide as basal segments. Surface of scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with long and sparse semierect setae.

Promesonotum 2.4 times as long as wide, gently, regularly convex in profile or with very shallow cleft between pronotum and mesonotum. Propodeum elongate, 1.45 times as long as wide, propodeal spines short, needle-like, runs obliquely upwards. Petiole elongate with long peduncle, its anterior face deeply concave, node angulate in profile. Posterior face straight in anterior 3/4 length, then shallowly concave. Ventral margin of petiole straight, without spine or distinct angulation. In dorsal view, petiole almost parallel sided before petiolar node, then gently widened. Postpetiole in profile regularly rounded. In dorsal view postpetiole 1.68 times as long as wide, regularly widened from base to apex, apical half with gently rounded sides.

Mandibles elongate, with outer edges straight, dorsal surface with distinct striation and several setose punctures, shiny, inner margin with one larger and 5–6 smaller teeth. Clypeus on whole surface with longitudinal rugae, interspaces microreticulate but more or less shiny. Frontal carinae short, not extending to the line connecting anterior margin of eyes, subparallel, interantennal area deeply impressed, microreticulate, without or with short, indistinct, 1–2 rugae, frontal triangle with thin longitudinal rugae, microreticulate but shiny between rugosities. Frons only on sides with thin longitudinal rugae, in central part with distinct microsculpture but shiny. Area between eyes distinctly microreticulate but appears shiny, microreticulation gradually diffused from front to back, gena, tempora and base of head with indistinct sculpture, on neck forming transverse striation, shiny. Pronotum with microreticulation diffused on top and distinct on sides. Top of pronotum shiny, sides from slightly dull to slightly shiny, with two rows of 4+2 setae. Mesonotum on whole surface microreticulate and partly microgranulate, sides with several transverse rugae, propodeum with slightly granulate sculpture, microreticulate, below spiracles with indistinct oblique rugae, top in anterior part with fine transverse wrinkles but surface of both mesonotum and propodeum appears slightly shiny. Top of mesosoma in anterior part with 8–14 setae, in posterior part with only 2 setae, propodeum anteriorly with few very short setae and posteriorly with a pair of short setae, as long as or slightly shorter than propodeal spines. Base of petiole and postpetiole on entire surface microreticulate but without wrinkles, nodes smooth and shiny, covered with several sparse, long setae. Gaster on pale basal spot of first tergite more or less microreticulate, other parts shiny, without microreticulation, tergites with sparse, long, erect setae from as long as to 1.5 times as long as propodeal spines.

Legs very long, hind femora 1.2 times as long as thorax, hind tibiae 0.8 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.1 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with short, sparse, adherent pubescence, inner margin with row of sparse, long, setae, tibiae on whole surface covered with short, adherent to semierect pubescence, only inner margins with row or slightly longer and more erect setae.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2014. Review of Mediterranean members of the Aphaenogaster cecconii group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with description of four new species. Zootaxa 3861 (1): 040060.
 * Emery, C. "Alcune formiche dell'isola di Creta." Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. Resoc. Adun. 26 (1894): 7-10.
 * Salata S., L. Borowiec, and A.Trichas. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Cretan Fauna of the Genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Notes on the Endemism of Ant Fauna of Crete. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 68(4): 769-808.
 * Salata S., and L Borowiec. 2017. Species of Tetramorium semilaeve complex from Balkans and western Turkey, with description of two new species of (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 62:279–313.
 * Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. A new species of the ant genus Lasius Fabricius, 1804 from Crete (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 789: 139–159.
 * Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.