Taxonomy
Species described
A few populations that had long passed as something familiar turned out to be distinct species. I described three of them.
- 3described
- 28nomenclatural acts
type localityother locality published in the description
Aphaenogaster asterioni, worker, dorsal and lateral. Figs 1, 2 of the original description, photographed by L. Borowiec. - Etymology
- Named after Asterion, the birth name of a mythological creature later known as Minotaur.
- Distribution
- A. asterioni is endemic to Crete while both morphs of A. subterranea are widespread in the Balkans and Europe but not recorded from Crete.
- Type locality
- Orthes Gorge, Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Etymology and distribution quoted from the original description.
Aphaenogaster tristis, worker of the typical Peloponnese morph, dorsal and lateral. Figs 40, 41 of the original description, photographed by L. Borowiec. - Etymology
- Latin tristis means gloomy, sad, shadowy. Named after almost completely microreticulate head and mesosoma, which gives the species a subdued appearance, in contrast to the highly shiny species such as A. subterranea or A. holtzi.
- Distribution
- A. tristis is known only from western, central, and southern Greece.
- Type locality
- 3.2 km NW of Polidroso, Lakonia, Peloponnese, Greece
Etymology and distribution quoted from the original description.
Cataglyphis mater, paratype worker in lateral view, and living workers. Fig. 6 of the original description. - Etymology
- We use mater, a feminine Latin substantive meaning “mother” used as a noun in apposition. This species is dedicated to the mothers of all people dedicated to science, for their support, even though in many cases they do not understand very well what their children work on. In a special way, to the mothers of the authors and especially to María Nieves Segura Diez, who passed away during the course of this investigation (June 2023), for her unconditional support. Mater was the affectionate nickname for Nieves since ADC-S began using scientific names in his degree in biology.
- Distribution
- At present, C. mater sp. nov. has a wide distribution in the northern Iberian plateau (autonomous community of Castilla y León) and a few records scattered across southern Spain. The known altitude range is of 1312 m, inhabiting between 610 m a.s.l. in Haro (La Rioja) and 1922 m a.s.l. in Puerto de Peña Negra (Ávila).
- Type locality
- Navalmanzano, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain
Etymology and distribution quoted from the original description.
Other nomenclatural acts28showless
12Synonymies
thirteen described taxa of the Temnothorax algiricus complex reduced to three valid species
- Leptothorax angustulus brunea Santschi, 1918, L. gazella Santschi, 1932, L. gazella monticola Santschi, 1932, Temnothorax mediterraneus Ward, Brady, Fisher & Schultz, 2014 and T. atlantis veneris Galkowski & Cagniant, 2017, junior subjective synonyms of T. algiricus
- Leptothorax kiudiria Espadaler, 1997, L. angustulus silvanus (Forel, 1907), Temnothorax atlantis suturalis and T. continentalis Galkowski & Cagniant, 2017, synonymised under T. atlantis
- Leptothorax lindbergi Santschi, 1931, synonym of T. trabutii
- Leptothorax convexus timida Santschi, 1912, junior synonym of Temnothorax convexus (Forel, 1894), and excluded from the complex
- Aphaenogaster lesbica Forel, 1913, junior synonym of A. subterranea (Latreille, 1798)
3New combinations
three Aphaenogaster species moved to other genera
- Messor asmaae (Sharaf, 2018)
- Messor isekram (Bernard, 1977)
- Pheidole sarae (Sharaf, 2018)
6Species-groups revised
a new classification of six monophyletic West-Palearctic Aphaenogaster species-groups, the graeca group newly established
- crocea, gibbosa, graeca, pallida, sardoa, subterranea
3Redescriptions
- A. epirotes (Emery, 1895)
- A. holtzi (Emery, 1898)
- A. subcostata Viehmeyer, 1922
3Lectotypes designated
- A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925
- A. holtzi (Emery, 1898)
- A. subcostata Viehmeyer, 1922
1Exclusions
- A. kurdica Ruzsky, 1905, excluded from the subterranea species group