Plagiolepis schmitzii
Plagiolepis schmitzii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Tribe: | Plagiolepidini |
Genus: | Plagiolepis |
Species: | P. schmitzii |
Binomial name | |
Plagiolepis schmitzii Forel, 1895 | |
Subspecies | |
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Synonyms | |
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This ant has been associated with the butterflies Glaucopsyche alexis, Pseudophilotes abencerragus and Leptotes pirithous (Obregon et al. 2015).
Contents
Identification
Sharaf et al. (2011) - As Forel (1895) stated in his original description that the sides of the head are less convex than the other species. Other specimens from Spain and Madeira are illustrated by Taylor & Sharaf (2007). Those are a darker red-brown than the, probably faded, syntype.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia.
Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Portugal (type locality), Republic of Macedonia, Spain, Tunisia.
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
Beltra et al. (2017) found this ant forging on grape vines in Eastern Spain vineyards.
Castes
Worker
- The following images are provided by AntWeb
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- schmitzii. Plagiolepis pygmaea var. schmitzii Forel, 1895d: 231 (w.q.) PORTUGAL (Madeira I.). Santschi, 1911i: 286 (m.). Raised to species: Santschi, 1920g: 168. Senior synonym of barbara, crosi: Collingwood, 1978: 71; of madeirensis: Wetterer, Espadaler, et al. 2007: 20. Current subspecies: nominal plus canariensis, tingitana. See also: Sharaf, Aldawood & Taylor, 2011: 208.
- barbara. Plagiolepis pygmaea var. barbara Santschi, 1911i: 286 (w.m.) TUNISIA. Santschi, 1920g: 172 (q.). Raised to species: Santschi, 1920g: 172. Junior synonym of schmitzii: Collingwood, 1978: 71.
- crosi. Plagiolepis schmitzi st. crosi Santschi, 1920g: 168, fig. 1 (w.q.) ALGERIA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 135 (l.). Raised to species: Emery, 1925b: 20; Santschi, 1931a: 10. Junior synonym of schmitzii: Collingwood, 1978: 71.
- madeirensis. Plagiolepis barbara var. madeirensis Emery, 1921d: 315, fig. I (w.) PORTUGAL (Madeira I.). Subspecies of schmitzii: Bolton, 1995b: 335. Junior synonym of schmitzii: Wetterer, Espadaler, et al. 2007: 20.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Sharaf et al. (2011) - Syntype. TL 2.1, HL 0.50, HW 0.46, SL 0.46, EL 0.13, SI 100, CI 92, PRW 0.30, ML 0.60.
Redescription of Worker. Body dirty yellow, gaster yellowish brown, antennae and legs clear yellow. Head longer than broad and with clearly convex sides. Posterior margin of head distinctly concave with rounded corners. Eyes conspicuously large (EL 0.13) with 12 ommatidia in the longest row and occupying about quarter of head sides. All funicular segments clearly longer than broad. Second funicular segment distinctly shorter than the third. Fourth funicular segment 1.5 times longer than the third. Scapes in full-face view surpassing occiput by ca 0.25 of own length. Mesosoma in dorsal view elongated. Whole body and antennae with relatively dense appressed yellow pubescence. Gaster with well spaced and quite thick long hairs situated on posterior margins of all tergites.
Type Material
Sharaf et al. (2011) - Syntype worker: Madeira, Serra d’Agua (P. E. Schmitz) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [examined].
References
- Beltra, A., C. Navarro-Campos, A. Calabuig, L. Estopa, F. L. Wackers, A. Pekas, and A. Soto. 2017. Association between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and the vine mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in table-grape vineyards in Eastern Spain. Pest Management Science. 73:2473-2480. doi:10.1002/ps.4640
- Collingwood, C. A. 1978. A provisional list of Iberian Formicidae with a key to the worker caste (Hym. Aculeata). EOS. Rev. Esp. Entomol. 52:65-95. (page 71, Senior synonym of barbara and crosi)
- Forel, A. 1895e. Südpalaearctische Ameisen. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 9:227-234. (page 231, worker, queen described)
- Obregon, R., M. R. Shaw, J. Fernandez-Haeger, and D. Jordano. 2015. Parasitoid and ant interactions of some Iberian butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Shilap-Revista De Lepidopterologia. 43:439-454.
- Santschi, F. 1911i. Formicides de diverses provenances. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 55:278-287. (page 286, male described)
- Santschi, F. 1920g. Cinq nouvelles notes sur les fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 53:163-186. (page 168, Raised to species)
- Sharaf, M., Aldawood, A. and Taylor, B. 2011 The formicine ant genus Plagiolepis Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula, with description of two new species. Transactions of the American Entomological Society. 137:(1+2) 203-215.