Temnothorax nassonovi

Inhabits mainly steppe and dry meadows, nests are built in soil.

Identification
The differences between this species and the similar Temnothorax argentipes are given in notes about the latter species.

Distribution
Radchenko (2004) - Steppe and forest-steppe zones from the eastern Ukraine to the Pacific Ocean, Tien-Shan; absent from Japan.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Ukraine.

Biology
Zryanin & Zryanina (2007) found nests of this species in soil in steppe habitats.

Nomenclature

 *  nassonovi. Leptothorax nassanowi Ruzsky, 1895: 26 (w.) RUSSIA. [Also described as new by Ruzsky, 1896: 72.] [Justified emendation of spelling to nassonovi: Ruzsky, 1896: 72.] Kupyanskaya, 1990: 143 (q.m.). Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Status as species: Ruzsky, 1905b: 579; Karavaiev, 1916: 498; Karavaiev, 1934: 140 (redescription); Arnol'di, 1971: 1825 (in key); Tarbinsky, 1976: 94 (redescription); Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 543 (in key); Radchenko, 1994b: 111 (in key); Radchenko, 1994d: 155 (in key); Radchenko, 1995d: 9; Lyu & Cho, 2003b: 272; Radchenko, 2004: 126; Radchenko, 2005b: 151; Zhou, et al. 2010: 11 (in key). Senior synonym of firssovi: Kupyanskaya, 1990: 143; Radchenko, 1995d: 9. Senior synonym of subnudus: Radchenko, 1995d: 9; Radchenko, 2005b: 151. Senior synonym of galeatus: Radchenko, 2004: 126.
 * subnudus. Leptothorax nassonovi var. subnudus Ruzsky, 1905b: 581 (w.) CHINA. Junior synonym of nassanowi: Radchenko, 1995d: 9; Radchenko, 2005b: 151.
 * galeatus. Leptothorax galeatus Wheeler, W.M. 1927e: 1 (w.) CHINA. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Junior synonym of nassanowi: Radchenko, 2004: 126.
 * firssovi. Leptothorax nassonovi subsp. firssovi Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1928b: 28, fig. 5 (w.) RUSSIA. [Misspelled as frissovi by Pisarski, 1969b: 302.] Junior synonym of nassanowi: Kupyanskaya, 1990: 143.

Type Material
Radchenko (2004) - Syntypes of L. nassonovi: 2 workers, vicinity of Simbirsk, vi.1894.

The types of the var. subnudus seem to be lost. Ruzsky (1905) noted that this variety differs from the “typical” T. nassonovi by the very sparse standing hairs on the body (sometimes hairs are totally absent), by a somewhat different colour of the head dorsum, and the presence of the yellow spot at the base of the first gastral tergite. The two latter features are quite variable, but the absence of standing hairs is a quite significant character. Conspecificity (or dissimilarity) of these two forms can be definitely resolved only after obtaining an additional material from the type locality (Manchuria) of var. subnudus.

I have investigated 2 workers of Leptothorax galeatus, preserved in the collection of MCZ. One worker labelled “Peking, China, P. H. Lefivre”, “M.C.Z. Type 7 21025” was designated by A. Schulz in 1997 as the lectotype, and a second specimen from Tsinghua (for details see above) is labelled as paralectotype. Nevertheless, Wheeler (1927) described L. galeatus based only on “A single specimen from Tsinhgua (Gee)” (loc. cit., p. 2), which is the holotype according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The second specimen from Peking, designated as the lectotype, does not belong to the type series.