Temnothorax marae

Temnothorax marae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species:	T. marae
Binomial name
	Temnothorax marae; Alicata, Schifani & Prebus, 2022

More thermophilous than any other species of Temnothorax from Sicily, this species was found at altitudes between 5 and 175 m a.s.l. (see Fig. 82). Mainly found in the leaf litter of phryganas or shrublands, but also within a native P. halepensis forest and under riparian vegetation. Its habitat was likely severely reduced by strong anthropization of coastal areas and agricultural activities.

Colonies are small and monogynous, and are always found on dead twigs, either on bushes or laying on the ground, although nesting directly on the soil or in other microhabitats on the ground may also occur. Males were produced under rearing conditions during July. One colony was found to be hosting Temnothorax muellerianus (a slave maker) in the R.N.O. Vendicari.

Identification

Antennal clubs concolorous yellowish, antennae 12-segmented in females and 13 in males, eyes normal, metanotal groove absent, worker propodeal spines short, male propodeal spines absent, petiole upper profile usually with a short horizontal component but no well-defined edges, subpetiolar process carina-like, sculpturing mostly areolate and weak.

Distribution

Apparently restricted to SE Sicily (Hyblaean Plateau) and the Maltese islands. The Hyblean Pleateau may be the earliest sector of Sicily to have emerged from the Mediterranean Sea and has a strong biogeographic characterization (Guarino & Pasta 2018).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 37° to 35.8°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Schifani et al., 2022

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Italy (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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

marae. Temnothorax marae Alicata, Schifani & Prebus, in Schifani et al., 2022: 157, figs. 34-45 (w.q.m.) ITALY (Sicily).

Type Material

Holotype: ITALY • ☿; Vendicari; 36.7814° N, 15.0894° E; 21 Sep. 2019; A. Alicata leg.; MSNG.
Paratypes (7 ☿☿, 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂): ITALY • 1 ☿; same collection data as for holotype; MSNG • 2 ♂♂; Isola di Capo Passero; 36.6872° N, 15.1493° E; 10 Jul. 1997; A. Alicata leg.; MSNG • 6 ☿☿; Pineta di Vittoria; 36.8879° N, 14.4828° E; 30 Mar. 2001; A. Alicata and A. Adorno leg.; MSNG • 1 ♀ (damaged); Pineta di Vittoria; 36.8927° N, 14.4745° N; 25 Mar. 2019; A. Alicata and E. Schifani leg.; MSNG • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Bosco di S. Pietro; 2 Jun. 2019; A. Alicata and S. Csősz leg.; MSNG.

Taxonomic Notes

Maltese records under Leptothorax rabaudi (now Temnothorax aveli) by Schembri & Collingwood (1981) are partly based on misidentified T. marae according to an investigation of their voucher specimens. Temnothorax aveli (the senior synonym of L. rabaudi, see Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski 2009), a mainly arboreal-nesting species found in SW Europe, may be absent from Malta as it is from Sicily (see also under Temnothorax lagrecai).

Description

References