Alexander Radchenko

Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria

Abstract The present catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria is made on a base of critical reconsideration of literature (covering the period from 1892 till 2009 and part of 2010) as well as on examination of the authors‘ and several museum‘s collections. A lot of data were omitted in the previous Bulgarian monograph on ants, lots of new data were recently added and many important additions and alterations were made due to taxonomic revisions of Eurasian Formicidae during the last three decades. Two new species are reported for the country [Temnothorax graecus (Forel, 1911) and Temnothorax cf. korbi (Emery, 1924)]. This catalogue contains a list of 163 ant species belonging to 40 genera of 6 subfamilies now known from Bulgaria. Synonyms and information on the previously reported names in relevant publications are given. Known localities of the species are grouped by geographic regions. Maps with concrete localities or regions for each species were prepared. The conservation status of 13 ant species is given as they are included in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Bulgarian Biodiversity Act. In comparison with adjacent Balkan regions the ant fauna of Bulgaria is quite rich and its core is composed of South European elements.

THE ANTS OF THE GENUS MYRMICA (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) FROM BALTIC AND SAXONIAN AMBER (LATE EOCENE)

In the course of ongoing revision of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804, we located, in the collections of the Russian and Polish Academies of Sciences, pieces of Baltic Amber (Late Eocene, ca. 40 Ma; earlier this amber was considered to be Oligocene, e.g., see Wheeler, 1915; Larsson, 1978; Bolton, 1995; Dlussky, 1997), that each contained a fossilized specimen of Myrmica . We were also fortunate to be given access to a piece of Saxonian Amber (the same age as Baltic Amber) from the collection of Manfred Kutscher that contained three specimens of Myrmica . Four of the specimens belong to two new species. We describe these below, placing them in context with extant species, and we re-appraise all previously described fossil Myrmica , providing a key to the identification of the five extinct “true” Myrmica species. Until now, seventeen extinct ant species have been ascribed to the genus Myrmica (Heer, 1850, 1867; Mayr, 1868b; Novak, 1878; Meunier, 1915): four species from the Late Eocene and Oligocene (ca. 40–35 Ma) and thirteen from the Miocene (ca. 25 Ma). However, only one of these species, M. longispinosa Mayr, 1868b found in Baltic Amber, indisputably belongs to the genus. All other fossil “ Myrmica ” species belong to other genera. The high number of misidentifications is not surprising because most species were described a long time ago from impressions in rock. Such fossils are very difficult to interpret and identify correctly, even with considerable experience and a good knowledge of recent ant taxonomy. Three species, M. pusilla Heer, 1850, M. duisburgi Mayr, 1868b, and M. rugiceps Heer, 1850 were formally transferred to other genera by Handlirsch (1907), Wheeler (1915) and Assmann (1970) respectively (see also Mayr, 1867; Bolton, 1995), and …

First records of Myrmica vandeli Bondroit and M. tulinae Elmes, Radchenko et Aktaç (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for Poland, with a key for the scabrinodis- and sabuleti-complexes

The first records from Poland of Myrmica vandeliand the recently described M. tulinae, both belonging to the scabrinodis-group,are reported. These species are poorly recorded and may be less rare than hitherto supposed. The current knowledge of their distributions and ecologies are summarised. The characteristic morphological features of the two species are illustrated and a key for separating them from their closest relatives in Poland is given.

Two New Species of the Genus Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran

Abstract. Two new species, Cataglyphis stigmatus sp. nov. and C. pubescens sp. nov. are described based on workers from Iran. The first species belongs to the bicolor species-group and clearly differs from all known species of this group by its yellow colour (except of C. lunaticus), but well distinguishes from the latter by the longer scape, by the lower propodeum, which dorsal surface is distinctly longer than the posterior one, by the less abundant standing hairs on the alitrunk and petiole, and especially by the much longer propodeal spiracles. Taxonomic position of C. pubescens is less clear, it shares features of the cursor-, emeryi- and emmae-groups, while differs from all species of these groups by the dense and long depressed pubescence on the head and alitrunk.

Two new primitive ant genera from the late Eocene European ambers

Two extinct genera of ants from the late Eocene (ca. 40 Ma), Protomyrmica gen. nov. and Plesiomyrmex gen. nov. (family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae), are described based on single specimens (males), from Baltic and Bitterfeld (also called Saxonian) ambers respectively; both genera belong to the tribe Myrmicini. In gross morphology they are similar to modern Myrmica but have a series of apomorphies combined with characters that are plesiomorphic not only in the tribe Myrmicini, but also in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The most significant plesiomorphies concern the antennal structure and wing venation of both genera. The antennal scape is short and the funiculus is filiform, having no apical club. Moreover, the antennae of Protomyrmica are “sphecoid” with the length of the funicular segments gradually decreasing towards the apex (i.e., the longest is basal, starting from the second, and the shortest is apical); this type of structure is basal for the family Formicidae as a whole. Although we consider the wing venation of Protomyrmica to represent the prototype of wings in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it has an apomorphy absent in the modern Myrmicini genera—the antennae are inserted into the head well behind the posterior margin of the clypeus. Plesiomyrmex also has a peculiar apomorphy not found in any other genus of Myrmicinae: the antennae are inserted into toruli located on short sub-vertical tube-like or cup-like structures that protrude distinctly above the head surface. As a result, we do not consider either of the newly described genera to be the direct ancestors of modern Myrmicini; nevertheless, the presence of very ancient plesiomorphies may indicate their antiquity, and thus the latest estimated time for the origin of the tribe Myrmicini should be at least the early Eocene.

COMBINING COMPETITION WITH PREDATION: DRASTIC EFFECT OF LASIUS FULIGINOSUS (LATR.) ON SUBORDINATE ANT SPECIES AT THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF ITS DISTRIBUTION

Abstract. During long-term field studies on division of space between the territorial ant species Lasius fuliginosus (Latr.) and Formica polyctena, Först. in southern Finland a severe decrease in the abundance of subordinate ant species was observed within L. fuliginosus territory. As part of this study we analyze the extent of changes in subordinate ant species assemblage in the light of already documented cases of L. fuliginosus predation on colonies of subordinate ants. The results showed that L. fuliginosus had a much stronger negative impact on co-occurring subordinate species, than the neighbouring rival F. polyctena. The hypothesis of hunger-induced myrmecophagy in this species is put forward, and is discussed as a possible competitive mechanism by which L. fuliginosus could shape ant assemblages within its territories.

Taxonomic revision of the pachei species-group of the genus Myrmica Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract. Previously, workers of species belonging to the pachei-group of the genus Myrmica were characterised by having only transverse rugosity on the alitrunk dorsum. The group contained only M. pachei and M. villosa, both endemic to the Indian side of the Himalaya. Three other species were recently described from China (M. taibaensis, M. polyglypta and M. well) that have at least some transverse rugae mixed with other types of sculpture on various parts of the alitrunk dorsum. Examination of new material collected from southern and south-western China and Kashmir revealed 9 new species sharing this feature. Here we redefine the pachei-group to include all 14 species; we review all the species, making a redescription of M. taibaensis and describe the 9 new species: Myrmica sculptiventris, M. schulzi, M. phalacra, M. varisculpta, M. hlavaci, M. pleiorhytida, M. multiplex, M. yunnanensis and M. heterorhytida. Drawings and measurements are provided together with a conventional key to workers of the pachei-group and a diagnostic table of the species.

Seven New Myrmica Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from China

Abstract. Seven new Myrmica species (M. curiosa, M. mixta, M. pararitae, M. poldii, M. sinoschencki, M. weii and M. polyglypta) are described from Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces of China. Their taxonomic positions are discussed. M. sinoschencki is placed in the schencki-group, M. pararitae and M. poldii — in the ritae-group and M. mixta — in the inezae-group, while the position of the other three species is still uncertain. M. sinica Wu et Wang, 1995 is formally synonymised with M. excelsa Kupyanskaya, 1990.

Banning paraphylies and executing Linnaean taxonomy is discordant and reduces the evolutionary and semantic information content of biological nomenclature

In a recent issue of Systematic Entomology, Ward et al. (2015) presented a new variant of the phylogeny of the huge and extremely diverse ant clade Myrmicinae. Their paper is a valuable contribution to understand the formation of major phylogenetic clades against a credibly evaluated time scale. The intention of our opinion paper is not to criticize particular ‘‘technical’’ aspects, such as selection of genes or number and selection of species considered to be representative for a tribe. Instead this opinion is of a very general nature: we express our growing concern about a severe reduction of the semantic content and functionality of zoological nomenclature and our doubts that phylogenetic classification can adequately reflect the information content of evolution. The concern comes from the fundamental position of phylogenetic systematists of stringently translating the monophyly criterion into binominal nomenclature regardless of the consequences for practical research. This position was expressed by Ward et al. (2015):

Boltonidris Gen. Nov., the First Extinct Stenammini Ant Genus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Late Eocene Rovno Amber

Abstract. The new extinct ant genus and species, Boltonidris mirabilis, are described from the late Eocene Rovno Amber (Ukraine). This genus belongs to the tribe Stenammini of the subfamily Myrmicinae. It possesses the plesiomorphic characters of the tribe Stenammini, e.g. 12-segmented antennae with 3-segmented apical club, characteristic structure of the clypeus and frontal lobes, absence of gastral shoulder, but it has a series of autapomorphies, e.g. modified mandibles with the only two teeth on the masticatory margin, well developed longitudinal medial groove on the head dorsum, somewhat depressed areas lateral to the frontal carinae (like “vestigial” antennal scrobes), and finely swollen postero-lateral area of head, close to the occipital corners. Additionally, it has two short blunt teeth on the pronotum.