Aphaenogaster jolantae

A nest of this species was located in a crevice inside a shallow cavern, near the middle of a 3 m high wall of a gorge on the famous tourist route Epta Piges (Seven Springs). Workers were foraging on the inner wall of the cavern at a distance of 1 m from the entrance to the nest. A couple of the foragers were carrying remains of moths collected from a nearby spider web. More workers were found in a hollow trunk of a huge Platanus orientalis tree. A large entrance to the hollow tree was located about 70 cm above the ground and led to a hollow trunk that could accommodate two standing people standing. The interior walls of the tree were charred; the entrance to the nest was probably on the roof of the hollow, where a few foraging workers were collected. (Borowiec and Salata 2014)

Identification
Borowiec and Salata (2014) - Aphaenogaster jolantae, Aphaenogaster olympica and Aphaenogaster equestris are together easily distinguished from the other three species of the A. cecconii group by the head lacking a narrowed neck with flared collar. Aphaenogaster equestris differs in having the body mostly rusty-yellow and the sculpture of the head stronger, with the head surface partly dull. Aphaenogaster olympica is very similar and differs in subtle morphometric and sculptural characters described in the key.

Key to Mediterranean Aphaenogaster cecconii group species

Distribution
Greece, Dodecanese, Rhodes Island.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Nomenclature

 *  jolantae. Aphaenogaster jolantae Borowiec & Salata, 2014: 48, figs. 5-6, 17, 24, 27 (w.) GREECE.

Worker
(n=11): HL: 1.342 ± 0.078 (1.117–1.420) ; HW: 0.888 ± 0.093 (0.704–1.016); TL: 0.621 ± 0.04 (0.536–0.693); GL: 0.482 ± 0.03 (0.425–0.52); NW: 0.482 ± 0.031 (0.441–0.536); CW: 0.173 ± 0.019 (0.131–0.201); FLW: 0.307 ± 0.027 (0.257–0.346); SL: 1.686 ± 0.085 (1.457–1.763); EL: 0.246 ± 0.012 (0.218–0.257); EW: 0.186 ± 0.016 (0.145–0.201); ML: 1.928 ± 0.118 (1.605–2.092); PSL: 0.241 ± 0.027 (0.179–0.279); SDL: 0.197 ± 0.017 (0.168–0.235); HTL: 1.529 ± 0.096 (1.280–1.661); PL: 0.538 ± 0.040 (0.487–0.575); PPL: 0.377 ± 0.03 (0.324–0.419); PH: 0.32 ± 0.029 (0.279–0.357); PPH: 0.306 ± 0.028 (0.251–0.351); PNW: 0.658 ± 0.043 (0.553–0.704) ; DPSB: 0.223 ± 0.025 (0.167–0.246); DPST: 0.246 ± 0.038 (0.207–0.313); PW: 0.232 ± 0.018 (0.187–0.251); PPW: 0.287 ± 0.024 (0.234–0.335); CI: 66.1 ± 5.1 (52–71.8); CL: 19.5 ± 1.9 (17.8–24.4); FLI: 56.4 ± 6.1 (50–72.8); SI1: 125.7 ± 2.7 (122.3–130.4); F2: 191.6 ± 19.6 (171–246); PI1: 167.9 ± 16.9 (149.6–204.3); PI2: 61.5 ± 7.1 (53.4–77); PPI1: 123.3 ± 7.5 (109.7–133.9); PPI2: 35.7 ± 3.4 (33.1–43.6); SPI1: 27.3 ± 3.3 (24.6–34.9); SPI2: 122.2 ± 7.6 (106.5–129.5); HTI: 173.5 ± 16.1 (158.9–217.6) MI: 293.4 ± 11.1 (271.2–312.1); PSI: 142.4 ± 12.4 (127.2–162.2); TGI: 129.1 ± 9.4 (115.4–144.4).

Head, thorax and abdomen pale brown, first abdominal tergite without paler basal spot. Legs mostly brown only tarsi yellowish to yellowish-brown, often trochanters, knee and apices of tibiae paler colored, yellowishbrown. Antennal scapes brown, pedicle yellowish brown.

Head posterior to eyes gently, regularly convex, without constriction at base, basal margin margined by sharp carina. Anterior margin of clypeus shallowly emarginate. Eyes small, 0.41 times as long as length of tempora. Scapes elongate and slim, 1.68 times as long as width of head, at base 0.58 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, mostly straight, only apex slightly bent down without preapical constriction. Funicle elongate and thin, 1.38–1.40 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, 2.8 times as long as wide on apex, 1.29 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments 100:77:95:95:95:91:95:127:118:127:200, apical segments 1.75 times as wide as basal segments. Surface of scape finely microreticulate but shiny, covered with short and sparse adherent setae and only at apex of scape pubescence slightly raised from the ground.

Promesonotum 1.77 times as long as wide, pronotum gently, regularly convex in profile without cleft between pronotum and mesonotum. Propodeum elongate, 1.29 times as long as wide, propodeal spines short, needle-like, runs obliquely upwards. Petiole elongate with long peduncle, its anterior face deeply concave, node from subangulate to rounded 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 anterior to petiolar node, then gently widened. Postpetiole in profile regularly rounded. In dorsal view postpetiole 1.33 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 6–7 smaller teeth. Clypeus on whole surface with fine longitudinal rugae, interspaces microreticulate but shiny. Frontal carinae short, not extending to the line connecting anterior margin of eyes, subparallel, interantennal area deeply impressed, shiny, with only one median, fine carina, frontal triangle with very thin longitudinal rugae appearing as striation, microreticulate but shiny. 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 vertex microreticulation mostly diffused and surface shiny. Pronotum with microreticulation diffused on top, distinct on sides. Top of pronotum shiny, sides more or less shiny, with rows of 4+1+2 setae. Mesonotum on whole surface microreticulate and partly microgranulate, sides microgranulate without rugae or only with 2–3 short, transverse rugae, propodeum at top microreticulate, on sides with slightly granulate sculpture, below spiracles with few fine longitudinal 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 6 setae, in posterior part with only 2 setae, propodeum anteriorly with a pair of short setae, as long as or slightly shorter than propodeal spines. Base of petiole and postpetiole microreticulate but without wrinkles, nodes smooth and shiny, covered with several sparse, long setae. Gaster shiny, first tergite at base without longitudinal grooves and without distinct 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 1.04 times as long as thorax, hind tibiae 0.77 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.23 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with short, sparse, adherent pubescence, inner margin with row of sparse, moderately long, setae, tibiae on whole surface covered with very short, adherent pubescence, only inner, apical margins with row or slightly longer and semierect setae.

Type Material
Holotype worker: GREECE, Rhodes, Epta Piges 92 m, W of | Kolymbia, 36°15’N/28°06’E, 4 VII 2008, L. Borowiec, Collection L. Borowiec, Formicidae, LBC-GR00109 ; 23 paratype workers: the same data as holotype (DBET, SMNG,, MLBC); 4 paratype workers: GREECE, Rhodes, Apollona, 36°15’N/27°55’E,10 VII 2008, 287 m, L. Borowiec, Collection L. Borowiec, Formicidae, LBC-GR00163 (DBET).

Etymology
Dedicated to Jolanta Świetojańska, associate and participant in all myrmecological trips of the senior author and a well-known Polish entomologist.