Tapinoma erraticum r. israelis Forel 1904

Seifert, Bernhard, Kaufmann, Bernard & Fraysse, Lorenzo, 2024, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic species of the ant genus Tapinoma Mayr 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 5435 (1), pp. 1-74 : 38

Tapinoma erraticum r. israelis Forel 1904 [type investigation]

The taxon has been described from Jerusalem / Palestine. Investigated were five syntype workers on two pins labelled “ T. israelis type For. Jerusalem”, “Type”, MNH Genève. The type series is allocated to the T. israelis cluster with p= 0.9224 in a wild-card run of a LDA considering 12 morphometric characters ( Tab. 1) .

Material examined. Numeric phenotypical data were taken in 9 samples with 30 workers. They originated from Israel (6 samples), Jordan (1) and Turkey (2). For details see supplementary information SI1, SI2 .

Geographic range. According to the data available only known from five sites in Israel and one site each in Jordan and Asia Minor at elevations from sea level up to 1000 m.

Diagnosis:—Worker ( Tab.2): All shape ratios given below are, in contrast to those in Tab. 2, primary ratios without RAV and all data are given as arithmetic mean ± standard deviation. Smaller than glabrella, CS 728 ± 67 µm. Head more elongated than in glabrella CL /CW 1.172 ± 0.043. Postocular distance medium-sized, PoOc/CL 0.412 ± 0.006. Anteromedian clypeal excision shallower than in glabrella, ExCly /CS 5.84 ± 0.71 %, ExClyW 5.74 ± 0.62 %. The margin of clypeal excision forms a sharp cuticular edge beginning from its frontal corners caudad over at least 70% of its length and is in this area at same level as the adjacent clypeal surface. Sum of pubescence hairs and smaller setae protruding at a few micron across margin of clypeal excision lower than in glabrella , nExCly 2.08 ± 0.79. Posterior margin of head in full face view in medium-sized and large specimens slightly excavated, ExOcc/CS 0.80 ± 0.46 %. Scape slightly longer than in glabrella, SL /CS 1.015 ± 0.019. Minimum distance of the inner margins of antennal socket rings larger than in glabrella , dAN/CS 0.300 ± 0.005. Eye medium-sized, EL/CS 0.276 ± 0.005. Metanotal groove deeper than in glabrella , MGr/CS 3.94 ± 0.57 %. Mesosoma slightly longer than in glabrella, MW /CS 0.641 ± 0.018, ML/CS 1.355 ± 0.026. Second funiculus segment longer than in glabrella, Fu 2L/ CS 14.25 ± 0.34 %, IFu2 1.640 ± 0.066. Seta condition, pubescence and pigmentation similar to T. erraticum .

—Male genital: unknown.

Taxonomic comments. The clear separation of workers from Tapinoma erraticum and T. glabrella was shown above.

Biology. Unknown. One nest was found under a stone at the border of a conifer forest.