Proformica nasuta, Nylander, 1856

Christophe Galkowski, Claude Lebas & Philippe Wegnez, 2017, Redescription of Proformica nasuta (Nylander, 1856) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using an integrative approach, European Journal of Taxonomy 290, pp. 1-40 : 13-17

Redescription of P. nasuta ( Nylander, 1856) and designation of the neotype

As the type specimen of P. nasuta is presumably lost, we propose fixation of a neotype from a nest sample collected in Beaucaire, France, terra typica of the species, and matching Nylander’s concept of P. nasuta . The original description ( Nylander 1856: 66) is based on a small worker (“ Long. 3 ‒ 3.5 mm ”) with elongated head (“ ... facies producta antice visa subrectangularis ... ”). This feature is found exclusively in minor workers. Therefore, a minor worker was selected from Beaucaire, France (colony Beaucaire 1) and designated as the neotype. The neotype is deposited as MNHN-1598 with the labels “ FRA, N43.83544 E4.61828, Beaucaire , 9 juillet 2011, leg. R. Blatrix & C. Lebas ” and “Néotype Proformica nasuta ( Nylander, 1856) , des. Galkowski, Lebas, Wegnez, Lenoir & Blatrix, 2016” . In case of loss or destruction of this specimen, a replacement neotype can be designated from a series of ten other minor workers collected from the same nest and deposited at the MNHN. Other workers from the same nest are deposited at the following collections: AT (no. 15557), LB, SMNH, XE, ZISP and the collections of the authors. A queen from the same nest and a male from colony Tarascon 1 (a few kilometers away from the type locality) are deposited at MNHN.

Proformica nasuta ( Nylander, 1856)

Figs 6‒8

Formica nasuta Nylander, 1856: 66 .

Formica (Proformica) nasuta var. depilis Santschi, 1925: 353 .

Material examined

Museum material

FRANCE: MHNG: Charleval, Bouches-du-Rhône , leg. E. della Santa, labelled P. nasuta , 11 Jul. 1987: 4 workers, 25 Jul. 1988: 3 workers. – NMB-SC: Carrière des Anglais, Vaucluse : 2 workers, types of Formica (Proformica) nasuta var. depilis . – MNHN-BAC: Sainte-Baume, ~ 90 workers (12 pins), 3 ♂♂, one of which labelled “Type phoenica ” [ Proformica phoenica is a nomen nudum, as it was never described by Bernard. Proformica ants at this locality form a mountain isolate which most probably derived from lowland populations of P. nasuta ; see Discussion]. – IRSNB-BC: 2 ♂♂, without locality.

New material

FRANCE: All in personal collections of CF and RB: Aurons , 4 workers, 43.66° N, 5.15° E, Jun. 2006, leg. V. Bouchet; Beaucaire , 14 workers, 2 queens, 43.8354° N, 4.6187° E, 9 Jul. 2011, leg. R. Blatrix and C. Lebas; Bonnieux , 8 workers, 43.8625° N, 5.3069° E, 1 Oct. 2011, leg. C. Lebas; Collias , 5 workers, 43.9477° N, 4.4623° E, 12 Jun. 2010, leg. R. Blatrix; Plaine de la Crau, Saint-Martin-de-Crau , 18 workers, 1 ♂, 43.5833° N, 4.8333° E, Jun. and Aug. 2011, leg. C. Lebas; Grospierres , 30 workers, 44.4116° N, 4.2713° E, 6 Jul. 2012, leg. T. Colin; Jonquières-Saint-Vincent , 7 workers, 43.8314° N, 4.5765° E, 11 May 2011, leg. R. Blatrix; Montpellier , 3 workers, 43.6292° N, 3.8907° E, 8 Mar. 2012, leg. R. Blatrix; Pompignan , 3 workers, 5 queens, 2 ♂♂, 43.8979° N, 3.8252° E, May 2010 and 10 Jul. 2011, leg. R. Blatrix and P. Wegnez; Sauteyrargues , 4 workers, 43.8275° N, 3.9192° E, 28 May 2011, leg. R. Blatrix; Sumène , 6 workers, 43.9904° N, 3.7714° E, 9Apr. 2014, leg. R. Blatrix; Tarascon , 12 workers, 1 queen, 3 ♂♂, 43.8421° N, 4.7382° E, 9 Jul. 2011, leg. R. Blatrix and C. Lebas .

Description

Minor worker (n = 89)

For each character extreme values and the mean are given in brackets:

CW 540‒900 µm; nCH 0‒2 (0.06); nCU 0‒3 (0.18); nTx 0‒6 (0.57); nSc 0‒2 (0.13); nG 0–5 (1); PDG 9‒28 (13.2); GHL 35‒75 µm (45.2); GHL/CW 0.040–0.102 (0.064).

Media and major workers (n = 25)

CW 900‒1240 µm; nCH 0‒1 (0.13); nCU 0‒4 (1.13); nTx 0‒7 (1.6); nSc 0‒4 (0.27); nG 0‒7 (2.3); PDG 10‒18 (14.2); GHL 35‒90 µm (60.2); GHL/CW 0.039–0.091 (0.054).

Body uniformly dark brown to black, appendices and mandibles lighter. Erect hairs rare or absent, short when present (GHL/CW <0.11). Dense pubescence on dorsal surface of first and second gaster tergites (PDG <29). Profile of mesosoma sinuous. Petiolar scale erect, thick, slightly notched at summit in large workers. Head of minor workers clearly elongate, rectangular (CL/CW> 1.3). Head of media and major workers less elongate (CL/CW 1.1‒1.3), a bit shiny toward occiput, faintly sculptured in anterior part. Clypeus finely striate longitudinally. Mandible with five teeth of increasing size from base to apex.

Queen (n = 8)

CW 1500–1690 µm (1600); CL 1530–1660 µm (1590); SL 1230–1270 µm (1250); nCH 0–1 (0.2); nCU 2–6 (3.2); nTx 2–19 (11.8); nSc 0–2 (1.2); nG 0–3 (1.6); PDG 9–14 (11.2); GHL 70–90 µm (77.5); MW 1020–1240 µm (1150); ML 2040–2310 µm (2200); ScW 620–860 µm (710); GHL/CW 0.042–0.056 (0.048).

Only ergatoid queens collected. Body brown with a wide orange spot on mesosoma on some specimens. Few and relatively short erect hairs (nG <10, GHL <90 µm). Pubescence very dense on the dorsal surface of first and second gaster tergites. Profile of mesosoma similar to that of worker, but mesonotum more domed and propodeum very high. Tegulae absent. Petiolar scale high and wide, distinctly notched at summit. Head as long as wide. Same sculpture as in worker.

Male (n = 6)

CW 1340–1380 µm (1360); CL 1100–1170 µm (1140); SL 1220–1330 µm (1280); MW 1700–1750 µm (1730); ML 2720–2970 µm (2830); ScW 560–590 µm (580).

Head, mesosoma and scale dark brown, appendices and sometimes gaster lighter. Erect hairs numerous and dense on entire head, mesosoma and petiolar scale, becoming rare on gaster, where restricted to anterior face of first tergite, angled. Pubescence almost lacking on dorsal surface of gaster tergites. Eyes and ocelli prominent. Mandibles reduced, without teeth. Many erect black hairs on extensor profile of anterior and median femurs. Maximal length of these hairs shorter than width of femur. Rare erect white hairs on tibias. Wings well developed, yellowish.

Distribution

Southern France ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks

We have not examined the type specimens of the Asian varieties of this species, P. nasuta metalica Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1923 and P. nasuta syrdariana Santschi, 1928 , described from Kazakhstan, nor the type specimen of the taxon Formica aerea (Roger, 1859) , which was described based on a single minor worker collected in Greece and later synonymized with P. nasuta by Emery (1925). Although we decided not to change the status of these eastern taxa until a thorough revision of the eastern Proformica is undertaken, we believe it is very unlikely that they will be conspecific with P. nasuta .

Figures

Fig. 1. Distribution of the 22 localities where Proformica nest samples were collected. The star indicates the type locality of Proformica nasuta (Nylander, 1865) (i. e., Beaucaire).

Fig. 6. Proformica nasuta Nylander, 1856, neotype, minor worker from colony Beaucaire 1, France. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Head in full face view. D. Gaster in dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm. Automontage: Claude Lebas.

Fig. 7. Proformica nasuta Nylander, 1856, queen from colony Beaucaire 1, France. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Head in full face view. Scale bars = 1 mm. Automontage: Claude Lebas.

Fig. 8. Proformica nasuta Nylander, 1856, male from colony Tarascon 1, France. A. Lateral view. B. Head in full face view. C. Genitalia in dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm. Automontage: Claude Lebas.