Cataglyphis hellenica

In Achaia, Greece, this species was collected in two mountain localities placed in alpine area on mountain pastures overgrown with poor vegetation. Nests were observed directly in the gravel ground (Borowiec & Salata, 2021).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 * . Myrmecocystus cursor var. hellenicus Forel, 1886f: 204 (w.) GREECE.
 * Combination in Cataglyphis: Müller, 1923b: 150;
 * combination in C. (Monocombus): Santschi, 1929b: 35.
 * Subspecies of cursor: Dalla Torre, 1893: 217; Emery, 1906d: 48; Emery, 1925b: 263; Santschi, 1929b: 35.
 * Junior synonym of aenescens: Borowiec & Salata, 2013: 384.
 * Status as species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 59; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 285 (in key); Agosti, 1990b: 1482; Bolton, 1995b: 135; Petrov, 2006: 110 (in key); Legakis, 2011: 34; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2012: 486; Borowiec & Salata, 2021: 6.

Taxonomic Notes
Borowiec & Salata (2021) - Based on the morphological characters and available resources, Borowiec and SaLata (2013) suggested that Cataglyphis cursor and its infraspecific taxa described and recorded from Greece represented Cataglyphis aenescens, a member of the cursor species-group recorded from the eastern Mediterranean, characterized by lack of erected setae on scape and mostly reduced number of erect setae on mesosoma. Consequently, Myrmecocystus cursor var. hellenicus (described from Peloponnese), and Myrmecocystus cursor var. cretica (described from Crete) were synonimized under Cataglyphis aenescens. Later, Salata and Borowiec (2018), based on studies on previously unavailable type specimens, supported with a vast material collected on Crete, concluded that Cretan populations represented a distinct species and restored the name Cataglyphis cretica to the species rank. This hypothesis was also confirmed by Kuhn et al. (2019) based on molecular studies. The same authors noted also that populations known from Greek mainland are not conspecific with Cataglyphis aenescens, which was described from the southern part of European Russia. However, they did not propose any formal restoration of the species status for Cataglyphis hellenica. After investigation of syntypes of Myrmecocystus cursor var. hellenicus collected in Pyrgos and several samples recently collected from Cyclades: Naxos, Macedonia: Halkidiki, Peloponnese: Achaia and Korinthia, Sterea Ellas: Attica, Euboea and Phthiotis, and Thessaly: Magnesia we agree with Kuhn et al. (2019) that these populations are distinct from both C. aenescens and C. cretica. Consequently, we propose to consider the name C. hellenica as a bona species. Its exact redescription will be given in forthcoming first volume of the monograph of ants of Greece.