Myrmica schencki

Identification
Brownish red with gaster and sometimes head darker. Frontal triangle striate. Antennal scape sharply angled near base, with an upright flange at the bend fitted closely into the thin divergent frontal ridge. Frons very narrow, about 1/4 head width. Mesopropodeal furrow shallow and postpetiole low, somewhat cubical in profile and spherical from above. Head Index: 88.4; Frons Index: 24.5; Frontal Laminae Index: 63.3. Length: 4.0-5.5 mm. (Collingwood 1979)

Distribution
South Europe to South Scandinavia.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This is an interesting species somewhat resembling a large paler Myrmica lobicornis but distinguished by the lower more cubical postpetio1e. According to the Danish myrmecologist Chr. Skott, this species differs from other European Myrmica in having no winter brood, is mainly nocturnal and derives much of its food from the glandular excretions of low herbage such as Hypochaeris and Hieracium spp. The entrance to the nest is frequently built up as a collar of vegetable detritus (Bisgaard, 1944). Colonies are single queened and isolated, situated in sandy banks and dry pasture. Alatae are found in August, mating occurring on the ground near the nest.

Nomenclature

 *  schencki. Myrmica rubra var. schencki Viereck, 1903: 72 (w.q.m.) EUROPE (see Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 35 (note)). [First available use of Myrmica rubra subsp. scabrinodis var. schencki Emery, 1895c: 315; unavailable name.] Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953a: 120 (l.). Subspecies of scabrinodis: Emery, 1908a: 178; Forel, 1915d: 29. Status as species: Bondroit, 1911: 11; Bondroit, 1912: 351; Donisthorpe, 1915c: 265; Bondroit, 1918: 103; Müller, 1923: 44; Finzi, 1926: 109; Karavaiev, 1926b: 95; Stärcke, 1927: 84; Santschi, 1931b: 351; Karavaiev, 1934: 93; Bernard, 1967: 118; Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843; Tarbinsky, 1976: 42; Kutter, 1977c: 70; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 535; Collingwood, 1979: 56; Seifert, 1988b: 35; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 109; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 99. Senior synonym of kutteri: Bernard, 1967: 118; of subopaca: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843; of betuliana: Radchenko, 1994f: 77; of schenckioides: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 266. See also: Seifert, 2003b: 145; Radchenko, Elmes & Alicata, 2006: 513; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 266.
 * kutteri. Myrmica schencki var. kutteri Finzi, 1926: 111 (w.m.) SWITZERLAND. Junior synonym of schencki: Bernard, 1967: 118.
 * subopaca. Myrmica schencki nat. subopaca Arnol'di, 1934: 172, figs. 36, 37 (w.) UKRAINE. [Also described as new by Arnol'di, in Karavaiev, 1934: 96.] [Unresolved junior primary homonym of subopaca Smith, F. 1858b: 127, above.] Junior synonym of schencki: Arnol'di, 1970b: 1843.
 * betuliana. Myrmica betuliana Ruzsky, 1946: 70 (w.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of schencki: Radchenko, 1994f: 77.
 * schenckioides. Myrmica schenckioides Boer & Noordijk, 2005: 120 figs. 1-4 (q.) NETHERLANDS. Junior synonym of schencki: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 266.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Boer & Noordikj 2005.pdf|Boer, P.; Noordijk, J. 2005. Myrmica schenckioides nov. sp., a new socially parasitic ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Ber. (Amst.) 65(4): 120-123 PDF]]