Tapinoma insularis, Seifert & Kaufmann & Fraysse, 2024

Seifert, Bernhard, Kaufmann, Bernard & Fraysse, Lorenzo, 2024, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic species of the ant genus Tapinoma Mayr 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 5435 (1), pp. 1-74 : 56

Tapinoma simrothi ssp. azerbaidzhanica Karavajev 1932 [image of type and zoogeography]

This taxon has been described from near the railroad station Ganja in Azerbaijhan (40.713°N, 46.372°E, 345 m) on the basis of males and workers. The synonymization with T. karavaievi is based on evaluation of the images of the specimen CASENT0917138 in ww.antweb.org, labelled “Gandzha Azerbeidzh. Rekat.”, “5416. Coll. Karavaievi”, “ Tapinoma simrothi ssp. azerbeidzhanica Kar. typ.” [all three labels written by Karavaiev]. From Karavaievs drawings of male genitalia and the features shown by the image of the worker it is clear that the taxon belongs to the T. simrothi group. The imaged specimen is allocated in a wild-card run of an LDA with p=0.764 to T. karavaievi , with p=0.177 to T. phoenicaeum and with p=0.059 to T. insularis n. sp. when considering 10 absolute measurements which could be derived from the image (CL, CW, PoOc, ExOcc, dAN, ExCly, ExClyW, Fu2L, Fu2W, SL). This morphometric classification is fully in line with occurrence probabilities expected from zoogeography.

Material examined. Numeric phenotypical data were taken in 39 samples with 121 workers. They originated from Iran (31 samples), Kazakhstan (2), Kyrgistan (4), Turkey (1) and Turkmenistan (1). For details see supplementary information SI1, SI2 .

Geographic range. Distributed from E Turkey (40.16°N, 42.61°E) over Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, east to Kyrgistan (40.36°N, 72.92°E). The most southern and northern sites known are at 29.84°N, 50.26°E in Iran and 45.45°N, 64.24°E in Kazakhstan. The altitudinal range of 39 samples is given by 1107 ± 591 [29, 2075] m .

Diagnosis:—Worker ( Tab. 5): All shape ratios given below are, in contrast to those in Tab. 5, primary ratios without RAV and all data are given as arithmetic mean ± standard deviation. Slightly larger than T. phoenicaeum, CS 884 ± 96 µm. Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.077 ± 0.045. Postocular distance larger than in T. phoenicaeum, PoOc /CL 0.386 ± 0.010; excavation of hind margin of vertex smaller than in T. phoenicaeum, ExOcc 0.94 ± 0.61%. Anteromedian clypeal excision deeper and wider than in T. phoenicaeum, ExCly /CS 10.89 ± 0.66%, ExClyW 6.01 ± 0.70%. The edge of clypeal excision curves slightly down below the level of adjacent clypeal surface, thus appearing rather blunt. Sum of pubescence hairs and smaller setae protruding across the margin of clypeal excision including its dorsal edge moderate, nExCly 6.6 ± 2.6. Scape moderately long, SL/CS 0.973 ± 0.029. Minimum distance of the inner margins of antennal socket rings rather small, dAN/CS 0.296 ± 0.006. Eye moderately large, EL/CS 0.252 ± 0.011. Metanotal groove moderately deep, MGr/CS 3.58 ± 0.67%. Mesosoma longer than in T. simrothi and moderately wide, ML/CS 1.300 ± 0.038, MW/CS 0.635 ± 0.022. Second funiculus segment shorter than in T. phoenicaeum, Fu 2L/CS 13.58 ± 0.43%, IFu2 1.676 ± 0.058. Pubescence, seta and pigmentation characters as in T. simrothi .

Taxonomic comments. The separation from the other three species of the T. simrothi group has been shown above.

Biology. The species was found in open or partially shaded natural, rural and urban habitats with sparse soil vegetation, in semidesert, farmland with irrigation, settlements and on open river banks.

The nest entrance may be surrounded by craters of ejected soil.