Temnothorax kykkos, Salata & Demetriou & Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2024

Salata, Sebastian, Demetriou, Jakovos, Georgiadis, Christos & Borowiec, Lech, 2024, The genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cyprus, Zootaxa 5434 (1), pp. 1-69 : 19-23

Temnothorax kykkos n. sp. ( Figs 13–15 , 61 )

Etymology. Named after its locus typicus, the Kykkos Monastery placed in Troodos Mts., one of the wealthiest and best-known monasteries in Cyprus. The Greek name Kykkos [Κύκκος] according to one belief is related to the Kermes oak (Latin Quercus coccifera ), which developed in this area; a different account attributed the expression 'kykkos' to a bird whose call 'kik-ko, kik-ko' became the name of the monastery.

Type material examined. Holotype worker (pin): “ CYPRUS, Nicosia, 1130 m | Kykkos Monastery | 34.98375 / 32.74145 | 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW) . Paratypes (26 workers, pin): 13w “ CYPRUS, Limassol | Trooditissa loc. 1, 1344 m | 34.91365 / 32.84265 | 22 IV 2022, L. Borowiec [+ J. Demetriou, C. Georgiadis & S. Salata]” ( MNHW) ; 1w “ CYPRUS, Paphos, 368 m | rd. F612 loc. 1 | 34.73358 / 32.64293 | 28 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW) ; 1w “ CYPRUS, Nicosia, 680 m | Kapedes | 34.9669 / 33.2404 | 24 IV 2022, L. Borowiec ” ( MNHW) ; 3w “ CYPRUS, Nicosia, 181 m | Machairas Forest | 34.8533 / 33.36188 | 23 IV 2022, J.D. & C.G. [J. Demetriou & C. Georgiadis]” ( MNHW) ; 1w “ CYPRUS, Paphos Prov., | Peyia Forest loc. 3, 390 m | 34.889366 / 32.3739 | 18.04.2022, S. Salata ” ( MNHW) ; 1w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 363 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34°53.853 N / 32°22.046 E | 4 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00155” ( MNHW) ; 6w “ CYPRUS, Paphos distr. 374 m | Pegeia Forest n. Pegeia | 34.89754 / 32.36743 | 7 V 2012, L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC–CY00182” ( MNHW) .

Other material examined. Nicosia , 4 km SW of Kapedes, 34.956326 / 33.214662, 677 m, 24 IV 2022, 1w (EtOH), leg. L. Borowiec; Akrotiri UK SBA, Lady’s mile beach, 34.5962 / 33.0073, alt. 2 m, 04 V 2008, leg. S. Zotos, 1w ( ZMUA) .

Comparative note. Temnothorax kykkos and T. apolloni are the only Cypriot members of the T. angustulus group (for characteristics see T. apolloni ). Temnothorax kykkos differs from T. apolloni in an almost uniformly brown body with mesosoma not or insignificantly paler brown than head and gaster. Temnothorax kykkos has a shorter petiole with mean PI 1.306 with a petiolar node in profile triangular and sharply angulate. Body sculpture in T. kykkos is finer than in T. apolloni , with the head predominantly smooth and shiny and sculpture present predominantly on lateral frons and gena. Also, T. kykkos has shorter propodeal spines with a mean length 0.127 and PSLI index 0.215. Geographically, the closest member of the T. angustulus group outside of Cyprus is T. dessyi (Menozzi, 1936) (known from Greece and Western Türkiye). It is very similar but differs in stronger microreticulate and rugose head sculpture covering almost the whole surface except for the central frons, and in strong microreticulate or/and longitudinal sculpture dorsal pronotum. None of the species of the T. angustulus group distributed in the western part of the Mediterranean basin and recently reviewed by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) have head surfaces so largely smooth and shiny as in T. kykkos and none of them have top of pronotum with partly diffused sculpture or with a shiny background.

Description. Worker (n = 10): HL: 0.619 –0.738 (0.696); HW: 0.508 –0.630 (0.589); SL: 0.430 –0.524 (0.490); EL: 0.143 –0.169 (0.159); EW: 0.098 –0.127 (0.116); PNW: 0.348 –0.420 (0.388); WL: 0.746 –0.889 (0.823); PEL: 0.246 –0.304 (0.277); PEH: 0.183 –0.240 (0.213); PPL: 0.177 –0.222 (0.204); PPW: 0.173 –0.222 (0.206); PSL: 0.111 –0.138 (0.127); CI: 1.144 –1.222 (1.182); EI1: 1.233 –1.459 (1.369); EI2: 0.205 –0.242 (0.228); SI1: 0.789 – 0.890 (0.833); SI2: 0.682 –0.728 (0.704); MI: 2.036 –2.157 (2.125); PI: 1.192 –1.650 (1.306); PPI: 0.905 –1.111 (1.015); PSLI: 0.197 –0.236 (0.215).

Color. Almost whole body brown with varying intensity, often dorsum of pronotum, petiole and postpetiole and base of first gastral tergite paler brown than head, rest of mesosoma and posterior part of gaster, in the palest specimens dorsum of pro- and mesonotum and base of first gastral tergite orange-brown but without sharp borders between paler and darker parts. Legs in the darkest specimens predominantly brown with yellowish or yellowish-brown trochanters and tarsi, in the palest specimens legs predominantly yellowish to yellowish-brown only femora predominantly brown. Antennal scapus brown, funicle from yellowish to brown with more or less darkened club. Mandibles yellowish ( Figs 13, 14 ). Head. Slightly elongate, 1.14–1.22 × as long as wide, sides almost parallel, occipital corners regularly rounded, occipital margin of head straight ( Fig. 15 ). Anterior margin of clypeus softly convex, without central angulation truncate or shallowly emarginate in the middle, with 8 short setae. Eyes moderate, short oval, 1.2–1.4 × as long as wide, 0.23 × as long as head length. Antennal scape moderately long, in lateral view slightly curved, approximately 0.8 × as long as width of the head, in apex gradually widened with shallow preapical constriction, its base with obtusely angulate dorsal and ventral angle. Funiculus distinctly longer than scape, first segment 2.2 × as long as wide at apex, approximately 3.2 × longer than second segment, segments 2–6 transverse, segment 7 slightly wider than long, club large, only slightly longer than segments 1–8 combined, last segment of club elongate, 1.2 × as long as segments 8 and 9 combined ( Fig. 15 ). Surface of the scape with fine microreticulation, shiny, covered with thin, moderate dense, appressed hairs. Mandibles with thick sparse, longitudinal striae, shiny, covered with very short appressed hairs. Clypeus with long median keel and one short keel on each side, sometimes without lateral keels, interspaces smooth and shiny. Frons narrow, approximately 0.35 × as wide as head width. Frontal carinae short, slightly extending beyond frontal lobes. Antennal fossa deep, margined with very fine, partly diffused circular striae with smooth interspaces. Frontal lobes narrow, placed distinctly upwards. Gena and malar area with sharp longitudinal rugae gradually disappearing toward the back of the head; frons laterally with few striae partly disappearing, rest of head smooth and shiny, frons centrally without or with extremely small setose punctation. Surface of head without appressed pubescence, frons, vertex and occipital area with erect, pale, short and thick setae, the longest on occipitum 0.4 × as long as eye width ( Fig. 15 ). Mesosoma. Elongate, approximately 2.1 × as long as wide, slightly arched in pronotal part, flat in posterior ¾ length, with very shallow metanotal impression, occasionally without impression. Pronotum convex on sides. Anterior slope of pronotum with diffused microreticulation, in the middle smooth and shiny, dorsum diffused microreticulation, shiny, sides of pronotum with fine longitudinal striation without or with few sharp longitudinal rugae and distinctly microreticulate interspaces. Dorsum of mesonotum predominantly diffusely microreticulate without or with rudiments of longitudinal striae, on sides with microgranulation often tending to form longitudinal rows, without few fine longitudinal rugae especially close to ventral margin. Dorsum of propodeum and space between propodeal spines microreticulate, posterior slope with few transverse rugae, on sides predominantly microreticulate to microgranulate with few longitudinal rugae especially on metapleural lobe, in front of spiracle usually small smooth and shiny area, surface of propodeum appears slightly irregular but shiny. Propodeal spines short, mean PSL/HW 0.22, running obliquely upwards, in form of narrow spine or needle with slightly widened base, straight and acute apically ( Fig. 14 ). Occasionally spines reduced to very small triangular tubercle. Entire mesosoma bearing erect, white, moderately long setae, the longest on pronotum 0.49 × as long as eye diameter ( Fig. 14 ). Petiole. Moderately elongate, mean PEL/PEH 1.31, anterior face shallowly concave, ventral margin anteriorly with sharp spine, node in lateral view almost regularly triangular with sharp top margined by short carinae, whole surface microgranulate, on sides with fine longitudinal rugae, surface appears slightly dull. Postpetiole. In dorsal view almost as long as wide, approximately 1.4 × as wide as petiole, surface predominantly microgranulate only top with diffused granulation, without striation or rugae. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole with moderately long erect setae, slightly longer and thicker than setae in mesosoma ( Fig. 14 ). Gaster. Smooth and shiny, bearing erect, short, pale setae, 0.7–0.8 × as long as the longest setae on mesosoma ( Fig. 14 ). Legs. Moderately elongate, femora swollen in the middle, tibiae widened from base to ¾ length, surface of legs covered with extremely sparse, appressed hairs, surface with diffused microreticulation or partly smooth, shiny.

Biological note. Less thermophilous. Workers were observed on trunks and stems of Robinia pseudoacacia in rest area close to stream and shaken off into the entomological umbrella from Pistacia and leguminose bushes located inside pine forests. The holotype was collected on a low wall surrounding the courtyard of Kykkos Monastery. Nests could not be found, probably as in the Greek representatives of the Temnothorax angustulus group, they can nest inside the dry stems of shrubs and large herbs.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Holotype worker head of Temnothorax kykkos n. sp. (scale bar = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 61. Distribution in Cyprus Temnothorax apolloni n. sp. (upper map) and T. kykkos n. sp. (bottom map)

FIGURES 13, 14. Holotype worker of Temnothorax kykkos n. sp. 13 dorsal 14 lateral (scale bar = 1 mm).