taxonID	type	description	language	source
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	description	Figure 5	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	materials_examined	Investigated type material: 2 syntype workers of algiricus (Msila Forest, Oran, Algeria) from the MHNG (Geneva, Switzerland), being the mid and bottom specimens of a pin in which the top worker had its head missing with the labels “ TYPUS // L. angustulus / Nyl / / [worker symbol] / v. algiricus Forel / Foret de Msila / (Algerie) // Coll. A. Forel // algiricus Forel ”. 1 syntype worker of T. algiricus investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0909011 — MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland). 1 syntype worker of brunea investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912895 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). 1 syntype worker of gazella investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912940 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). 1 syntype worker of monticola investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912941 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). 1 syntype worker of veneris investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0917823 — SIZK, Kiev, Ukraine). 1 syntype worker of mediterraneus (= Leptothorax angustulus kraussei Emery, 1916) (Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy) investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0904755 — MSNG, Genoa, Italy). Investigated non-type material: 79 workers from 39 colonies from Algeria, Italy, Croatia, France, and Spain.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	description	Worker redescription. Body either concolor dark brown to blackish, or bicolored, with parts or the entirety of the mesosoma and nodes being reddish or ferruginous and contrasting with the head and gaster. Antennae, legs, and mandibles often lighter than the body. Head subrectangular with rounded margin, clypeus and mandibles rounded. Antennae of 12 segments, antennal clubs of 3 segments. Compound eyes are ovoidal. The mesosoma may or not present a slight metanotal impression visible in lateral view on the dorsal profile. Propodeal spines relatively long and erect, sometimes arched in dorsal view, and slightly curved in lateral view. The petiole has a triangular shape, with a small tooth-like subpetiolar process. The postpetiole has an ordinary ovoidal lateral profile and may appear subhexagonal in dorsal view. Surface sculpture is generally fine, with larger parts of the head becoming dull in smaller specimens; a fine irregular sculpture in the rest of the body, with some striae on the dorsum of the mesosoma, often on the head, and always a central carina in the clypeus. Very sparse, usually erect setae all over the body; dense, fine, and mostly adpressed pilosity on the antennae.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Compared to T. trabutii, the propodeal dorsum has a gentler transition with the rest of the mesosoma and is less steep [PropH 2 / PropH 1: 0.897 (0.732, 1.069)]. Several morphometric characters have an intermediate position between T. atlantis and T. trabutii. Spines form a narrower angle with the mesosoma than in T. atlantis but not as much as in T. trabutii [no range overlaps in SpANG: 130 (119, 139)]. On average, the propodeal spines are shorter than in T. trabutii but longer than in T. atlantis [SPST / CS: 0.329 (261, 409)]. In dorsal view these are divergent at first but may curve inwards in their distal part, the ratio between their maximum width and the width between their tips being averagely larger than in T. atlantis but smaller than in T. trabutii [SPWI / SPBA: 1.382 (1.108, 1.750)]. The ratio between the spines divergence and their length is also intermediate [SPWI / SPST: 0.829 (0.628, 1.222)]. Pigmentation can be concolor dark, or bicolored with dark head and gaster contrasting with the reddish mesosoma and nodes (as in the types of mediterraneus and veneris).	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Southern Spain, Balearic Islands, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily (including circum-Sicilian islands), Sardinia, Corsica, Italian peninsula (including the Tuscan archipelago), and Croatia. Records from the Maltese Islands should be attributed to this species.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF85FFCDC6A11B18FA81FAF6.taxon	discussion	Taxonomic history. Temnothorax algiricus was described by Forel (1894) from Algeria (Oran province) as a North African variety of the European T. angustulus with a different color. Some following authors kept considering it a variety of angustulus (Santschi 1911; 1918; Emery 1924; Bolton 1995). However, it was mostly treated as a species since Cagniant (1968) elevated it to species rank, although he did not provide a justification for his decision (e. g., Cagniant & Espadaler 1997; Bračko 2006; Cagniant 2006; Guillem 2009; Borowiec 2014; Galkowski & Lebas 2016; Lebas et al. 2016; Galkowski & Cagniant 2017). Later, Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) synonymized under T. algiricus four other taxa. Nonetheless, Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) could not provide a morphological distinction from T. mediterraneus Ward et al., 2014. The name T. algiricus was almost exclusively used in North Africa, with two exceptions: Bračko (2006) listed it among the species of Croatia, and Guillem (2009) recorded it in the Balearic Islands. Leptothorax angustulus algiricus bruneus Santschi, 1911 is an unavailable infrasubspecific name (Santschi 1911), while Santschi (1918) made the first available use of the name as Leptothorax angustulus var. brunea Santschi, 1911. It was described from Algeria (Yakouren) and defined as more strongly sculptured than T. algiricus, darker than T. trabutii, and “ transitional ” to silvanus (Forel, 1907). Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) synonymized this taxon under T. atlantis, considering it a dark-colored variety and speculating that the darker pigmentation could be caused by an association with more humid environments. Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) raised it to the subspecies level as T. atlantis brunea, again suggesting the same mechanism behind the dark pigmentation and stronger sculpture. In general, selective pressure for darker pigmentation in ants has been demonstrated to be associated with either high UV exposure on one hand or low temperatures on the other (Law et al. 2019; Bishop et al. 2021). Leptothorax gazella Santschi, 1932 was described from Tunisia (Sousse, see Santschi 1932) and said to be similar to “ L. angulatus ” (almost certainly a mistype of T. angustulus, as no “ L. angulatus ” has ever been described). Santschi (1932) differentiated L. gazella from “ L. angulatus ” due to the first having a less pronounced metanotal impression. In the same paper, Santschi (1932) described L. gazella var. monticola, also from Tunisia (Aïn Draham), based on a darker gaster and minor sculpture differences from L. gazella s. str. Both taxa were considered synonyms of T. algiricus by Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) without providing an explanation. Temnothorax mediterraneus Ward, Brady, Fisher, & Schultz, 2014 is a replacement name for Temnothorax kraussei Emery, 1916 (= Leptothorax angustulus kraussei Emery, 1916), a junior secondary homonym of Temnothorax kraussei Emery, 1915. The latter is a socially parasitic species originally described as Epymyrma kraussei, but the genus Epymyrma was found to be a synonym of Temnothorax by Ward et al. (2014). Under either of the two different names, this species has long been considered part of the faunas of Italy (Baroni Urbani 1971; Schifani 2022), France (Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski 2009), Malta (Schembri & Collingwood 1995), and Spain (Arcos & Garcia 2023). The original description by Emery (1916) as a variety of T. angustulus (Leptothorax angustulus var. kraussei) considered it to occur in Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, and the type is from Sardinia. Emery (1916) distinguished the var. kraussei by having a stronger head sculpture and sometimes a ferruginous mesosoma (in other specimens very dark). While Baroni Urbani (1971) treats T. mediterraneus as a distinct species based on its sympatry with T. angustulus in Sicily, Rigato & Toni (2011), in a faunistic paper on Sardinian ants, suggested potential synonymy between T. mediterraneus and T. angustulus. Eventually, Espadaler & Collingwood (1989), working on Iberian ants, defined the presence of a middle clypeal carina and the reddish mesosoma as distinctive features separating T. mediterraneus from T. angustulus. Ultimately, the taxon was redescribed by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017), who further demonstrated its distinctiveness from T. angustulus. In addition, they separated the populations of mainland Iberia and mainland France that were until that point considered to belong to T. mediterraneus by describing them as T. continentalis, while considering T. mediterraneus a valid species exclusive to Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily. Coherently with the original description, T. mediterraneus was defined as a taxon of variable pigmentation (with a reddish to dark mesosoma), different from T. continentalis because of the longer and differently shaped spines, and together with T. continentalis separate from T. angustulus by the middle clypeal carina (Galkowski & Cagniant 2017). However, Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) could not identify any character separating T. mediterraneus from T. algiricus. Leptothorax angustulus trabutii veneris Santschi, 1918 is an unavailable (infrasubspecific) name (Bolton 1995). Santschi (1918) described it from Tunisia (Le Kef) as similar in color to T. trabutii but characterized by a stronger sculpture and different spines. Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) described the subspecies T. atlantis veneris based on one of the syntypes of the taxon described by Santschi, providing a valid name for it. However, they could not find characters to separate the subspecies veneris from the nominal subspecies of T. atlantis (Galkowski & Cagniant 2017). At the same time, Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) also considered other syntypes (all from the same locality), including “ CASENT 0912897 ”, as “ typical T. mediterraneus ” and one as T. santschii (Forel, 1905) due to its longer spines [T. santschii is a species with a long petiolar peduncle considered close to T. flavispinus (André, 1883)]. Furthermore, they stated that they had never found T. mediterraneus but only T. algiricus in Tunisia and kept considering T. mediterraneus a European taxon. There is no “ CASENT 0912897 ” on AntWeb, and we have no data of T. atlantis east of central Algeria; while we have not examined the same specimens that Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) used to make their assessments, we based our evaluation on the only specimen present on AntWeb (CASENT 0917823), which due to its availability we suggest to consider the lectotype of the taxon in future revisions. Leptothorax convexus var. timida Santschi, 1912, described from Morocco (Cap Spartel, near Tangier, see Santschi 1912) was considered a junior synonym of T. algiricus by Cagniant & Espadaler (1997), who did not provide any argument for this decision as for the other synonymizations of taxa under T. algiricus. It is notable that, in the same paper, Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) also treated T. convexus (Forel, 1894) as a separate taxon but member of the same angustulus group. Pictures of the type of L. convexus var. timida are available on AntWeb (CASENT 0912920) and clearly show that it does not belong to the T. algiricus complex but instead bears all the typical features of T. convexus including the shape of the mesosoma, propodeal spines, nodes, and the surface sculpturing (also see Arcos et al. 2022). Therefore, we remove L. convexus var. timida from synonymy with T. algiricus and consider it as a junior synonym of T. convexus. Comments. The works of Espadaler & Collingwood (1989) and, more importantly, Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) were fundamental contributions for the understanding of this species in Europe (under T. mediterraneus), by separating it first from T. angustulus, and then from T. atlantis (under T. continentalis). However, the relationship between the populations in South Europe (under kraussei Emery, 1916 and then T. mediterraneus) and those in North Africa (under T. algiricus) remained unresolved, with no character found to tell them apart for more than a century, during which a parallel taxonomy existed. Furthermore, we found significant oversplitting in North Africa, where brunea, gazella, monticola, and veneris were all found to be indistinguishable from, and thus synonymized to, T. algiricus. Biogeographically, the distribution of T. algiricus mirrors the distribution of many North African ant species that also occur in southern Europe: in Italy (Schifani et al. 2022; Schifani & Alicata 2023), with some species extending to Croatia at their easternmost limit (Baroni Urbani 1971) and in the very south of Iberia and the Balearic Islands (Arcos & Alarcón 2024). Worth noting, a worker from Italy (Taormina, Sicily; CASENT 0906170) currently listed as T. angustulus on AntWeb belongs to T. algiricus based on our morphological analysis.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	description	Figure 6	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	materials_examined	Investigated type material: 1 syntype worker of atlantis investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912894 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). 2 syntype workers of kiudiria investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0915388, CASENT 0912953 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). 3 syntype workers of silvanus from the MHNG (Geneva, Switzerland) with the label “ TYPUS // L. angustulus silvanus / [worker symbol] [....] Foret de Msila / Oran (Forel) // L. silvanus Forel // ANTWEB CASENT 0909012 // MHNG ENTO- 0100926 // Silvanus Forel ”. 1 syntype worker of suturalis investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912896 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). Investigated non-type material: 19 workers from 9 colonies.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	description	Worker redescription. Body normally bicolored, with parts or the entirety of the mesosoma and nodes being reddish or ferruginous and contrasting with the dark head and gaster, but sometimes also concolor dark brown. Antennae, legs, and mandibles yellow reddish to dark. Head subrectangular with rounded margin, clypeus and mandibles rounded. Antennae of 12 segments, antennal clubs of 3 segments. Compound eyes are ovoidal. The mesosoma may or not present a slight metanotal impression visible in lateral view on the dorsal profile. Propodeal spines relatively short and more horizontal, normally divergent in dorsal view, and often slightly curved in lateral view. The petiole has a triangular shape, with a small tooth-like subpetiolar process. The postpetiole has an ordinary ovoidal lateral profile and may appear subhexagonal in dorsal view. Surface sculpture is generally fine, with larger parts of the head becoming dull in smaller specimens; a fine irregular sculpture in the rest of the body, with some striae on the dorsum of the mesosoma, often on the head, and largest specimens with a more developed sculpture on all surfaces. Clypeus always with a central carina. Very sparse, usually erect setae all over the body; dense, fine, and mostly adpressed pilosity on the antennae.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Compared to T. trabutii, the propodeal dorsum has a gentler transition with the rest of the mesosoma and is less steep [PropH 2 / PropH 1: 0.919 (0.812, 1.092)]. Spines form a wider angle with the mesosoma than in T. algiricus and T. trabutii, with no range overlaps [SpANG: 147 (141, 161)]. On most other individual characters, it has average different but some overlaps with T. algiricus, and no overlaps with T. trabutii. The propodeal spines are shorter than in the other species [SPST / CS: 0.283 (0.201, 0.364)]. In dorsal view these are divergent and do not tend to curve inwards, the ratio between their maximum width and the width between their tips being averagely smaller than in the other species [SPWI / SPTI: 1.287 (1.026, 1.055)]. The ratio between the spines divergence and their length is higher than in the other species [SPWI / SPST: 1.060 (0.847, 1.307)].	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Algeria, France, Morocco, Spain — not known from any island. A record from Portugal by Henin et al. (2001) was suspected to represent misidentified T. convexus according to Arcos & Garcia (2023); while we believe it could truly represent T. atlantis, the publication does not provide enough information to reach a conclusion.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF89FFC8C6A118B3FF5AFE5E.taxon	discussion	Taxonomic history. Temnothorax atlantis was described from the Atlas Mountains of Algeria (Takersan) by Santschi (1911) and said to be similar to T. angustulus (“ almost an extreme race of it ”) and to be distinguished from T. algiricus by pilosity length (without further details). However, Santschi (1921) reconsidered it as a subspecies of another species, T. normandi (Santschi, 1912), that he had earlier described. Temnothorax normandi is a very different species, morphologically resemblant of the T. nylanderi group (Csősz et al. 2015), and Santschi (1921) did not elaborate on this relationship, while he described the ‘ variety’ suturalis of atlantis. While most articles treated T. atlantis as a good species (e. g., Emery 1924; Bernard 1945; Cagniant 1964; 2006; Cagniant & Espadaler 1997; Galkowski & Cagniant 2017), Cagniant (1970) treated it as a subspecies of T. angustulus, similar to algiricus and replacing it in the Saharan Atlas. Finally, Cagniant & Galkowski (2017) considered T. atlantis to be a “ superspecies ”, including the subspecies atlantis, brunea, silvanus, suturalis, and veneris. The only European record of this species from Portugal was published by Henin et al. (2001). Leptothorax angustulus silvanus was described from Algeria (Msila Forest, Oran) initially considered by Forel (1907) as an “ intermediate ” form between T. convexus and T. trabutii (the latter considered a subspecies of T. angustulus). However, Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) moved it into synonymy with T. algiricus, not providing an explanation. Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) treated it as a subspecies of the “ superspecies ” atlantis. Leptothorax kiudiria was described from Morocco (Bab Besene, Rif) and exclusively compared to T. trabutii in its description (Cagniant & Espadaler 1997), while Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) state that it is separated from T. continentalis and the “ superspecies ” atlantis because of longer scapi and declivous propodeum. Leptothorax normandi atlantis suturalis Santschi, 1918 is an unavailable infrasubspecific name (Santschi 1918). Santschi (1918) described this variety from Morocco (Aïn Leuch, Fès-Meknès) stating that it differed from atlantis by having brighter colors. Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) use the first available name of T. atlantis suturalis, which they consider as part of the “ superspecies ” atlantis. Temnothorax continentalis was described from France by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017), who separated it from the “ superspecies ” atlantis by considering it more strongly bicolored and by the presence of a clypeal carina. Comments. The description of T. continentalis by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) fundamentally improved the understanding of this species in Europe by separating it from T. angustulus and T. algiricus (under T. mediterraneus). However, their separation of the European populations as T. continentalis and those of North Africa as the “ superspecies ” atlantis was dismissed by our morphometric analyses; furthermore, contrary to what was suggested by the dichotomic key in Galkowski & Cagniant (2017), T. atlantis populations of North Africa appear usually bicolored (with only the silvanus types being uniformly dark) and do not differ from the European counterparts concerning the clypeal carina. The “ superspecies ” concept adopted by Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) is not endorsed in modern ant taxonomy (Oberski et al. 2025). The subspecies silvanus and suturalis that Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) established appear to be synonyms of atlantis in our analyses. Finally, the same applies to kiudiria, apparently described from large-sized T. atlantis workers; our data dismiss the idea that T. kiudiria has exceptionally longer scapi or that a propodeal declivity is a distinctive characteristic. Biogeographically, the distribution of T. atlantis mirrors that of many West Mediterranean ants that occur continuously through North Africa (at least in the Western Maghreb), Iberia, and southern France across the Gibraltar strait, like Aphaenogaster dulcineae Emery, 1924, Camponotus sylvaticus (Olivier, 1792) or Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Guénard et al. 2017). A worker from Spain (Málaga, Adalusia; CASENT 0914411) currently listed as T. mediterraneus on AntWeb belongs to T. atlantis.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	description	Figure 7	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	materials_examined	Investigated type material: 2 syntype worker of trabutii from the MHNG (Geneva, Switzerland) with the label “ L. angustulus // [worker caste symbol] Nyl // Trabutii // Forel // Tlemcen // L. trabutii Forel // Coll. A. Forel // ANTWEB CASENT 0909013 // MGHNG ENTO 0100927 // trabutii ”. 1 syntype worker investigated through AntWeb (CASENT 0912958 — NHMB, Basel, Switzerland). Investigated non-type material: 5 workers with the same collecting data of the type series.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	description	Worker redescription. Body bicolored, with the entirety of the mesosoma and nodes reddish or ferruginous, contrasting with the dark head and gaster. Antennae, legs, and mandibles yellow reddish to dark. Head subrectangular with rounded margin, clypeus and mandibles rounded. Antennae of 12 segments, antennal clubs of 3 segments. Compound eyes are ovoidal. The mesosoma dorsal profile in lateral view has a stark discontinuity between the metanotum and the propodeum, with the propodeum profile presenting a steep declivity. Propodeal spines very long and erect, often arcuated in dorsal view, and rather straight in lateral view. The petiole has a triangular shape, with a small tooth-like subpetiolar process. The postpetiole has an ordinary ovoidal lateral profile and may appear subhexagonal in dorsal view. A fine irregular sculpture over the body, with some striae on the dorsum of the mesosoma, often on the head, and largest specimens with a more developed sculpture on all surfaces. Clypeus always with a central carina. Very sparse, usually erect setae all over the body; dense, fine, and mostly adpressed pilosity on the antennae.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Compared to the other species, the propodeal dorsum forms a sudden, angulate transition with the rest of the mesosoma and is steeper [PropH 2 / PropH 1: 0.794 (0.722, 0.878)]. Spines form a smaller angle with the mesosoma than in T. algiricus and T. atlantis, with no range overlaps [SpANG: 112 (106, 118)]. On most other individual characters, it has average differences but some overlaps with T. algiricus, and no overlaps with T. atlantis. The propodeal spines are longer than in the other species [SPST / CS: 0.458 (0.425, 0.485)]. In dorsal view these are divergent at first and then tend to curve inwards, the ratio between their maximum width and the width between their tips being averagely smaller than in the other species [SPWI / SPBA: 1.416 (1.227, 1.625)]. The ratio between the spines divergence and their length is smaller than in the other species [SPWI / SPST: 0.723 (0.643, 0.812)].	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Algeria, Morocco.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
892287F2FF8CFFC9C6A11F5BFC1CFB1A.taxon	discussion	Taxonomic history. It was described from Algeria (Tlemcen, Oran) by Forel (1894) as a “ race ” of T. angustulus with longer spines and different mesosoma Later, Cagniant (1968; 1970) elevated it to species rank but without explaining this decision. Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) considered it a subspecies of T. algiricus, stating that it has a lighter pigmentation and it is the form typical of Quercus ilex forests and semi-arid environments in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, while T. algiricus algiricus would be typical of coastal environments. Galkowski & Cagniant (2017) reverted its status back to species rank stressing the steep declivity of the propodeal dorsum in profile view and the long spines. Leptothorax lindbergi Santschi, 1931 was described from Morocco (Amizmiz, Marrakech Safi; 1931) as similar to angustulus and especially to “ its race trabutii ” (Santschi 1931). Cagniant & Espadaler (1997) synonymized it under trabutii without providing any explanation. Comments. This is the most distinctive of the three species we recognize in the complex in terms of qualitative morphology, with our qualitative observations mirroring those of Galkowski & Cagniant (2017). The steep declivity of the propodeal dorsum in profile view is unique in the complex and, alongside the long propodeal spines, is well represented in the drawing of lindbergi by Santschi (1931); although he mentions that spines could be ‘ shorter’ than trabutii, we maintain it as a synonym of trabutii as established by Cagniant & Espadaler (1997). We found a large dark-colored T. algiricus worker as the top specimen of a T. trabutii syntypes pin from the NHMG; however, despite being in the same pin with type T. trabutii specimens, it was the only worker glued on the side of the mesosoma instead of on the coxae, as all the T. trabutii specimens of that and the other pins were (and as myrmecologists normally prefer). This anomaly suggests that this very different specimen may have been added to the pin by mistake and not by Forel as a part of the original type series.	en	Schifani, Enrico, Menchetti, Mattia, Csősz, Sándor, Vila, Roger (2025): Inflated taxonomy in the West Mediterranean Temnothorax algiricus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) revealed by quantitative morphology. Zootaxa 5691 (2): 257-276, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5691.2.4
