Pyramica baudueri (Emery, 1875) - a new ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the Romanian fauna

Bálint Markó

doi:10.3161/00159301ff2008.51.2.101

Abstract

The Romanian myrmecofauna is insufficiently known, mostly cryptic, sub-Mediterranean and parasitic species are lacking from the checklist. In this art icle a new species for the Romanian fauna is presen ted: Pyramica baudueri Em., a cryptic and sub-Mediterranean species. Two specimens were found in South-Western Romania, close to the Hungarian border. P. baudueri lives in the soil, and hunts for small arthropods. Besides Pyramica, specimens of Ponera testacea Em. were also found on the same spot; this is the fifth data on the occurrence of this species in Romania. As several dacetine species are known from Southern and Central European countries it can be hypothesized that specific collecting methods would probably inc rease the number of dacetine species known from Romania. Upon this article the number of known Romanian ant speci es sums up to 105.

Highlights

The Romanian mynnecofauna is insufficiently known, mostly cryptic, sub-Mediterranean and parasitic species are lacking from the checklist, hi this article a new species for the Romanian fauna is presented: Pyramica baudueri Em., a cryptic and sub-Mediterranean species
Sub-Mediterranean and parasitic species are lacking from the list of the Romanian fauna, but there are other quite common European species which were not yet reported from Romania, illustrating how insufficiently the fauna is known
In this communication we report the finding of a cryptic, sub-Mediterranean species, which, probably due to its lifestyle and the lack of specific collecting methods, was not detected until now in Romania

Summary

Introduction

The Romanian mynnecofauna is insufficiently known, mostly cryptic, sub-Mediterranean and parasitic species are lacking from the checklist, hi this article a new species for the Romanian fauna is presented: Pyramica baudueri Em., a cryptic and sub-Mediterranean species. Pyramica baudueri (Emery, 1875) - a new ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the Romanian fauna Besides Pyramica, specimens of Ponera testacea Em. were found on the same spot; this is the fifth data on the occurrence of this species in Romania.

Results

Conclusion