Aphaenogaster schmitzi

Aphaenogaster schmitzi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Stenammini
Genus:	Aphaenogaster
Species group:	splendida
Species:	A. schmitzi
Binomial name
	Aphaenogaster schmitzi; Forel, 1910
Synonyms
	Aphaenogaster schmitzi syria Forel, 1910;

Little is known concerning this species. Menozzi (1933) communicated that a single worker was collected under a stone. Forel (1910) noted that the syntypes were collected in side a house (Salata et al., 2021).

Identification

Salata et al. (2021) - Aphaenogaster schmitzi together with Aphaenogaster festae, Aphaenogaster syriaca and Aphaenogaster transcaucasica form a species complex characterized by yellow to rusty-yellow color of head and antennae, stout body and legs and distinct sculpturing on the entire surface of the head. Aphaenogaster festae and A. syriaca differ in mesonotum placed distinctly higher than posterior part of pronotum, more distinct head sculpture with rugae present also in area between frontal carinae, A. syriaca has also slightly longer and directed slightly more upward propodeal spines; A. festae differs also in slightly more elongated head with HL/HW 1.347 (1.313–1.390) vs. 1.279 (1.248–1.309) in A. schmitzi. Aphaenogaster transcaucasica is the most similar species to Aphaenogaster schmitzi but differs in slightly less elongate and less distinctly sculptured head, stouter distal antennal segments, and longer scape SL/HW: 1.512 vs. 1.391 (1.326–1.467) in A. schmitzi. Because we examined in detail only one specimen of A. transcaucasica its separateness requires confirmation supported by studies on a larger number of specimens. The differences observed between A. schmitzi and A. transcaucasica are quite subtle and perhaps A. transcaucasica is only a northern geographical form of the same taxon, widely distributed in Transcaucasia and the Middle East (see also comments for Aphaenogaster georgica).

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Israel (type locality), Jordan, Syria, Türkiye.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

schmitzi. Aphaenogaster schmitzi Forel, 1910a: 10 (w.) ISRAEL.
- Combination in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 60.
- Subspecies of syriaca: Emery, 1921f: 60; Menozzi, 1933b: 51; Bolton, 1995b: 72; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 41.
- Status as species: Salata et al., 2021: 326.
syria. Aphaenogaster schmitzi var. syria Forel, 1910a: 12 (w.) SYRIA.
- Junior synonym of syriaca: Emery, 1921f: 60.
- Junior synonym of schmitzi: Salata et al., 2021: 326.

Type Material

15 syntype workers: A. Schmitzi | type Forel | Jerusalem | (Schmitz) | in house || Cotypus || schmitzi (MHNG), personally investigated; syntype worker: A. schmizti | type Forel | Jerusalem | (Schmitz) | [Illegible data] || Syntype ||ex coll. | Donisthorpe | B.M. 1934.4. || BMNH(E) | 1013870 || ANTWEB | CASENT | 0900458 (BMNH), personally investigated (Salata et al., 2021).

Taxonomic Notes

Aphaenogaster schmitzi syria was separated by Forel (1910) from A. schmitzi based on more matt head, more distinct reticulation of head and yellowish-brown body colouration. Study of the type specimen revealed that the mentioned characters were within the range of variability seen in A. schmitzi and thus we consider A. schmitzi syria to be a junior synonym (Salata et al., 2021).

Description

References

Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 72, catalogue)
Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Borowiec, L., Salata, S. 2020. Review of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Jordan. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom, Entomology 29 (online 2): 1-26 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.3733156).
Dubovikoff, D.A., Yusupov, Z.M. 2017. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
Emery, C. 1921c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174A:1-94 94: 1-94 + 7 (page 60, combination in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma))
Emery, C. 1921c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174A:1-94 94: 1-94 + 7 (page 60, subspecies of syriraca)
Forel, A. 1910b. Formicides australiens reçus de MM. Froggatt et Rowland Turner. Rev. Suisse Zool. 18: 1-94 (page 10, worker described)
Menozzi, C. 1933b. Le formiche della Palestina. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 12: 49-113 (page 51, subspecies of syriraca)
Salata, S., Karaman, C., Kiran, K., Borowiec, L. 2021. Review of the Aphaenogaster splendida species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annales Zoologici 71 (doi:10.3161/00034541anz2021.71.2.008).
Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Menchetti, M., Borowiec, L., Fisher, B.L., Karaman, C., Kiran, K., Oueslati, W., Salata, S., Blatrix, R. 2022. Revisiting the morphological species groups of West-Palearctic Aphaenogaster ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) under a phylogenetic perspective: toward an evolutionary classification. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 80, 627–648 (doi:10.3897/asp.80.e84428).