Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec, 2015

Salata, Sebastian, Demetriou, Jakovos, Georgiadis, Christos & Borowiec, Lech, 2024, The genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cyprus, Zootaxa 5434 (1), pp. 1-69 : 8-11

Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec, 2015 ( Figs 1–3 , 60 )

Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec, 2015a: 140 ( Türkiye, Antalya Prov.).

Material examined. Limassol, ad Trooditissa loc. 2, Kampi tou Kalogirou , 34.92709 / 32.83221, 1328 m, 26 IV 2022, 2w in nest of pale form of Temnothorax oreades , leg. L. Borowiec ( MNHW) .

Comparative note. Temnothorax curtisetosus belongs to a group of social parasites formerly classified as a separate genus Chalepoxenus Menozzi and recently synonymized with Temnothorax Mayr ( Ward et al. 2015). The group comprises several species in Europe and the Mediterranean subregion; all being parasites of various Temnothorax species. There are only two species of this species group recorded from the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin: T. muellerianus and T. curtisetosus . Temnothorax curtisetosus distinctly differs from T. muellerianus by its very short setae on the mesosoma, petiole, and especially on gastral tergites. The mean length of 10 setae combined on the first tergite is 741 μm in T. curtisetosus vs. 1218 μm in T. muellerianus . From other Cypriot species from the genus Temnothorax it well differs in the presence of a distinct spine on the ventral margin of the postpetiole and a deep metanotal groove (except T. recedens ). The most similar is T. recedens which also has a deep metanotal groove and a predominantly smooth and shiny head from which T. curtisetosus differs by its predominantly yellow body (in T. recedens bicolored or predominantly brown), stout and short antennal scapus with SI1 0.954 –0.997 (in T. recedens 1.222 –1.283), a very short propodeal spine with PSLI 0.261 –0.289 (in T. recedens 0.294 –0.334), and presence of a small spine on the ventral margin of postpetiole anteriorly.

Redescription. Worker (n = 2): HL: 0.778 –0.802 (0.790); HW: 0.605 –0.632 (0.619); SL: 0.603; EL: 0.176 – 0.192 (0.184); EW: 0.152 –0.157 (0.155); PNW: 0.460 –0.476 (0.468); WL: 1.016 –1.079 (1.048); PEL: 0.341; PEH: 0.270 –0.292 (0.281); PPL: 0.270 –0.283 (0.277); PPW: 0.365 –0.373 (0.369); PSL: 0.165 –0.175 (0.170); CI: 1.269 – 1.286 (1.278); EI1: 1.121 –1.263 (1.192); EI2: 0.226 –0.239 (0.233); SI1: 0.954 –0.997 (0.976); SI2: 0.752 –0.775 (0.764); MI: 2.209 –2.267 (2.238); PI: 1.168 –1.263 (1.216); PPI: 1.290 –1.380 (1.335); PSLI: 0.261 –0.289 (0.275).

Color. Almost whole body yellow, only first gastral tergite predominantly yellowish-brown with yellow spot at base. Antennae and legs uniformly yellow, femora never infuscate in the middle ( Figs 1–3 ). Head. Elongate, approximately 1.3 × as long as wide, sides almost parallel, softly converging behind eyes, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head convex ( Fig. 3 ). Anterior margin of clypeus softly convex, without central angulation, with 6 long white setae, medial notch absent. Eyes large, short, oval, approximately 1.2 × as long as wide, 0.23 × as long as head length. Antennal scape moderately long, in lateral view slightly curved, approximately as long as the width of the head, in apex gradually widened without preapical constriction, its base with subangulate dorsal and ventral angle. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 2.3× as long as wide at apex, 2.7 × longer than second segment, segments 2–6 transverse, segment 7 only slightly wider than long, club large, 1.23 × as long as segments 1–8 combined, last segment of club elongate, 1.1 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 3 ). Surface of scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderately dense, appressed hairs, anterior and ventral margin also with several long, erect setae. Mandibles predominantly smooth and shiny, only external margin with few longitudinal striae, surface covered with short subdecument hairs, apical margin also with 2–3 long setae. Clypeus with median keel and one, short keel on each side, interspaces smooth and shiny. Frons narrow, approximately 0.38 × as wide as head width. Frontal carinae very long, extending up to line connecting posterior margin of eyes. Antennal fossa deep, not margined with circular striae, with finely microreticulate surface. Frontal lobes narrow, placed only slightly upwards ( Fig. 3 ). Gena with longitudinal rugae, malar area, and frons laterally with few longitudinal striae or rugae, rest of head smooth and shiny, frons centrally without setose punctuation. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, frons, vertex, and occipital area with erect, pale, long setae, the longest on occipitum 0.53 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 2 ). Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately 2.2 × as long as wide, slightly arched in anterior third, with deep metanotal groove, dorsal propodeum flat ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum convex on sides. Anterior slope and dorsum of pronotum smooth and shiny, sides predominantly smooth and shiny only posteriorly with fine longitudinal striation. Dorsum of mesonotum diffusely microreticulate, shiny, only lateral margins with longitudinal 1–2 carinae, sides in upper part predominantly smooth and shiny, in ventral half with few fine longitudinal rugae and smooth and shiny interspaces ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsum of propodeum diffusely microreticulate, posterior face smooth and shiny, sides of propodeum predominantly microgranulate, ventral part with few longitudinal rugae, especially on metapleural lobe, surface appears irregular but shiny. Propodeal spines very short, mean PSL/ HW 0.27, running strongly upwards, in form of triangular tubercles with strongly widened base and angulate apex ( Fig. 2 ). Entire mesosoma bearing erect, yellow, moderately long setae, the longest on pronotum 0.6 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 1 ). Petiole. Short, mean PEL/PEH 1.22, anterior face straight, ventral margin anteriorly with sharp spine, node in lateral view rounded with fine lateral carinae, with few short rugae on sides of top, lateral face and in front of posterior margin, surface basally microreticulate, top smooth and shiny. Postpetiole. In dorsal view transverse, 1.3 × as wide as long, and approximately 1.5 × as wide as petiole, surface predominantly smooth and shiny, without longitudinal striation or rugae ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with long erect setae, as long as or slightly longer than setae on pronotum ( Fig. 2 ). Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, thin, pale setae, the longest as long as or slightly shorter than setae on mesosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to ¾ length, surface of legs smooth and shiny, covered with sparse, moderately long decumbent to subdecumbent hairs, ventral margin of femora and external margin of tibiae additionally with long erect setae, the longest slightly shorter than setae on gaster ( Fig. 2 ).

Biological note. This social parasite was observed in Cyprus in a nest of the pale form of Temnothorax oreades located in a cracked stone inside a resting area with a pine forest. From Greece and Türkiye it was noted in nests of T. antigoni ( Forel, 1911) .

Distribution note. This species has been known only from Western Türkiye and Samos island in Greece. The Cypriot record of Temnothorax muellerianus by Buschinger & Douwes (1993) with great probability concerns T. curtisetosus . We agree with Beibl et al. (2007) that populations of C. muellerianus from the Eastern part of Mediterranean Basin represent a complex of cryptic species and populations from Eastern Aegean islands, Southwestern Türkiye and Cyprus belong to T. curtisetosus .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Worker head of Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 60. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec (upper map) and T. recedens (Nylander) (bottom map)

FIGURES 1, 2. Worker of Temnothorax curtisetosus Salata & Borowiec (specimen from Trooditissa loc. 2) 1 dorsal 2 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).