Myrmica specioides Bondroit

Güsten, R., Schulz, A. & Sanetra, M., 2006, Redescription of Tetramorium forte Forel, 1904 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a western Mediterranean ant species., Zootaxa 1310, pp. 1-35 : 29-30

Myrmica specioides Bondroit , 1918

Myrmica specioides Bondroit , 1918

Tetramorium silvestrianum Emery , 1924: syn. nov.

Myrmica rugulosoides var. striata Finzi , 1926 (synonymy: Collingwood 1979)

Myrmica scabrinodis var. ahngeri Karavaiev , 1926 (synonymy: Seifert 1988)

Myrmica puerilis Staercke , 1942 (synonymy: Collingwood & Yarrow 1969)

Myrmica neglecta Staercke , 1942 (nomen nudum)

Myrmica scabrinodis var. atlantica Staercke , 1942 (nomen nudum)

Myrmica (Myrmica) balcanica Sadil , 1952 (synonymy: Pisarski 1975)

Myrmica (Myrmica) balcanica var. scabrinodoides Sadil , 1952 (synonymy: Pisarski 1975)

Material examined

1 [[worker]], lectotype of T. silvestrianum Emery (hereby designated): „ Manresa Silvestri / Typus / Tetramorium silvestrianum Emery Typus / Myrmica nec Tetramorium MF[label most likely by B. Poldi] / Lectotypus Tetramorium silvestrianum Emery des. R. Guesten, A. Schulz & M. Sanetra 2005“ ( MCSN) ; 1 [[worker]], „ Solden (A.), 9.VII. 20 / Tetramorium silvestrianum Em. var.!, Santschi det. 1926 / Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi, Kairouan ( NHMB)“ .

One of the two original syntypes of T. silvestrianum Emery remains at MCSN. It is in good condition and can easily be determined as a worker of Myrmica specioides Bondroit . Also, Emery´s (1924) description matches this specimen and his outline figure shows the petiole shape of M. specioides , so that there is no reason to believe that the other syntype represented a different species. Nevertheless, the surviving specimen is designated as lectotype in order to firmly establish the synonymy. We cannot explain Emery´s (1924) gaffe. Continuing the misconception, F. Santschi also determined a worker of M. specioides from “Solden (A.)” (probably Soelden, Tirol, Austria) in his collection as T. silvestrianum . Collingwood and Yarrow (1969), Collingwood (1978) and Lopez (1991) regarded T. silvestrianum as a synonym of T. forte on the grounds that the descriptions where allegedly corresponding. A worker ant from Geneve ( Switzerland) was determined as T. silvestrianum by Collingwood (in Lopez 1991).

The synonymy of M. specioides Bondroit is summarized above. Seifert (2002) has demonstrated that M specioides is not a synonym of M. bessarabica Nassonov , 1889 as previously stated by Atanassov and Dlussky (1992). We have not included several junior synonyms proposed by Dlussky et al. (1990) and Arakelian (1994) concerning taxa described from areas east of the range of M specioides as given by Seifert (1988), chiefly from the Caucasus. These synonymies need reinvestigation.