Myrmica mirabilis

Myrmica mirabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. mirabilis
Binomial name
Myrmica mirabilis Elmes & Radchenko, 1998 Specimen Label

The type collection was made from a nest found in decaying wood on a forest margin.

Identification

A member of the luteola group. Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - M. mirabilis is a most unusual Myrmica species because superficially, by general shape it resembles many Pogonomyrmex species. Furthermore, it is a very large and robust Myrmica species (HW 1.62-1.83, AL 2.56-2.92 mm), second in size only to Myrmica titanica, which appears smaller because it is much more slender than M. mirabilis.

The most similar species is Myrmica luteola and even though M. mirabilis has no “socially-parasitic” features (e.g. its tibial spurs are not reduced, its petiole and postpetiole lack ventral process, etc.) we provisionally place M. mirabilis to the luteola species group.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Myrmica of China
• Key to Myrmica of South and South East Asia

Distribution

Known only from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Taiwan (type locality).

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.

Nomenclature

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

• mirabilis. Myrmica mirabile Elmes & Radchenko, 1998: 218, figs. 1-5 (w.) TAIWAN. See also: Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 201.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Etymology

Radchenko and Elmes (2010) - from the Latin mirabilis = strange, wonderful or extraordinary, to emphasise its unusual features for a Myrmica species.

References

• Elmes, G. W.; Radchenko, A. G. 1998. Ants of the genus Myrmica from Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Chin. J. Entomol. 18: 217-224 (page 218, figs. 1-5 worker described)
• Radchenko, A.G. & Elmes, G.W. 2010. Myrmica ants of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3: 1-789.
• Zharkov, D., Dubovikoff, D., Abakumov, E. 2022. The first fossil record of the genus Manica Jurine, 1807 from Late Eocene Baltic amber and discussion of the early evolution of Myrmicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Insects, 14, 21 (doi:10.3390/insects14010021).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Elmes G. W., and A. G. Radchenko. 1998. Ants of the genus Myrmica from Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Chinese Journal of Entomology 18: 217-224.
• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Huang Jian-hua, Zhou Shan-yi. 2007. A checklist of family Formicidae of China - Myrmicinae (Part II) (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Journal of Guangxi Normal University : Natural Science Edition 25(1): 91-99.
• Radchenko A. G., and G. W. Elmes. 2010. Myrmica ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Old World. Fauna Mundi 3. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 790 pp.
• Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
• Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.