Brukenthal. Acta Musei, XIII. 3, 2018 Ioan Tăușan

UPDATED DISTRIBUTION OF THE VELVETY TREE MICROCEPHALUM (PANZER, 1798) (: FORMICIDAE) IN ROMANIA

Ioan TĂUȘAN *

Abstract. The Liometopum Mayr, 1861 (Formicidae: ) includes more than 700 extant species. Amongst them, (Panzer, 1798) has an ecological importance and a major step in understanding its biology and ecology is by knowing its distribution. The present paper aims to to highlight insights regarding the distribution of the rare velvety tree ant Liometopum microcephalum in Romania, based on both published data and new records. Keywords: , oak, arboricoulous species, new records, faunistics.

Rezumat. Genul Liometopum Mayr, 1861 (Formicidae : Dolichoderinae), include peste 700 de specii. Printre ele se numără și Liometopum microcephalum (Panzer, 1798), care prezintă o importanță ecologică deosebită, iar un pas important în întelegerea biologiei și ecologiei speciei este prin cunoașterea distribuției acesteia. Astfel, în prezenta lucrare oferim date privind distribuția speciei arboricole Liometopum microcephalum în România, pe baza datelor existente și a semnalărilor noi. Cuvinte cheie: furnici, stejar, specii arboricole, noi semnalări, faunistică.

Introduction However, there are many aspects of the species' biology that remain unknown due to its scattered The genus Liometopum Mayr, 1861 belongs to the occurrence and bad nest accessibility (Petráková, subfamily Dolichoderinae, which includes 707 Schlaghamerský, 2011). extant species in 28 genera, 134 fossil species and 20 fossil genera (Bolton 2016). The genus Thus, the species possess ecological importance Liometopum is generally considered to be a rather and a major step in understanding its biology, ancient one (Petráková, 2016). Only seven extant behaviour and ecology is knowing its distribution. species of the genus Liometopum are considered No detailed information about the distribution of valid: Mayr, 1870, L. L. microcephalum in Romania has been published lindgreeni Forel, 1902, L. luctuosum Wheeler, so far. In the present study we give an updated 1905, L. microcephalum (Panzer, 1798), L. distribution of L. microcephalum in Romania. occidentale Emery, 1895 and L. sinense Wheeler, 1921. The remaining species (20) are recognized Ecology as fossil ones (Del Toro et al. 2009; Bolton 2016; Petráková, 2016). Liometopum microcephalum is a thermophilous ant being strictly associated with large trees, In Romania, the Dolichoderinae subfamily is occurring both in forests as well as in open areas represented by five species: Dolichoderus (Makarevich 2003). We encountered the species quadripunctatus (Linnaeus, 1771), Tapinoma also in younger forests where no large trees were erraticum Latreille, 1798, T. subboreale available. All in all, we observed the species only Seifert, 2012, Bothriomyrmex corsicus Santschi, on oak (Fig. 1). 1923 (Seifert 2012a; 2012b). In addition, only one Liometopum species is present, namely L. The species forms large, sometimes polydomous, microcephalum (Markó et al. 2006). colonies of high ecological importance and behavioural dominance within ant communities L. microcephalum is considered to be a rare (Petráková, Schlaghamerský 2011). arboricolous ant, having a Pontomediterranean distribution in Europe and the Middle East According to Petráková, Schlaghamerský (2011) (Petráková, Schlaghamerský 2011). L. microcephalum is a dominant species. Its territories are defended by aggressive workers against other ants, affecting the distribution and * Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Sciences, Applied Ecology Research Center, Sibiu, Romania, structure of invertebrate communities (Petráková, [email protected] Schlaghamerský 2011).

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Brukenthal. Acta Musei, XIII. 3, 2018 Updated distribution of the velvety tree ant Liometopum Microcephalum (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Romania

They are predators with very good visual (Petráková 2016) are currently known. From orientation (preying on Hexapoda, Myriapoda, Dobrogea, the record from Oltina (Constanța Araneae, Lumbricidae), scavengers, and tending County) is until now the only record from this aphids (Makarevich 2003, Schlaghamerský et al. region. 2013). Mating occurs from May to July (Seifert In addition, we found the species in other regions 2007). in Romania. In Dobrogea, we collected specimens from Techirgiol, Cerna, Enisala (Tulcea County) Material Furnica and Esechioi (Constanța County). From We analysed the available literature on the Banat, specimens were collected from Satchinez occurence of Liompetopum microcephalum in (Timiș County). Romania. In addition, unpublished records are A detailed map of all the data is given in Fig. 2. given in the present study. All the data are Based on our data, it seems that the species avoids compiled in a map. The material presented as new the mountain area, preferring only the lower records is deposited in the personal collection of regions, being distributed from west to east as a Ioan Tăușan. belt around the mountain area. It is very likely that the species is more common, than the data shows. Distribution The species is known from several locations. In Acknowledgments Transylvania Gallé et al. (2005) collected I would like to thank the following friends and specimens from Secusigiu (Arad County), Markó colleagues who provided locations for (2008) collected the species from Foieni (Satu Liomeotopum microcephalum: Ionuț Ștefan Iorgu, Mare County). Petráková (2016) has recorded the Liviu Moscaliuc, Alexandru Pintilioaie and species from Tășnad (Satu Mare County) and Cosmin Turceanu. Alex Rădac is acknowledged from Bihor County. Also, a report from 2016 for his help with the distribution map. Last but not gives a record of the species from Huseni (Sălaj least, I am greatful for the usefull comments of County. In Moldova, there is only one record of Sergiu Török, which improved the manuscript. the species, from Galați (Cîrdei, Bulimar 1965). In the southern part, records from Comana Vlasca (Montandon, Santschi 1910) and Târgu Jiu

REFFERENCES

Bolton 2016 Bolton Barry,"Liometopum". AntCat. Retrieved 1 May 2016 Cîrdei, Bulimar, Cîrdei Filimon, Bulimar, Felicia, Noi contribuţii asupra studiului formicidelor (Fam. 1965 Formicidae) din Moldova. In: Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii "Al. I. Cuza" din Iaşi Secţiunea II-a, Ştiinţele naturii, a. Biologie, (1965), 11, p. 311-319/ Del Toro et al. Del Toro Israel, Pacheco José, Mackay William, Revision of the ant genus Liometopum 2009 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Sociobiology, (2009), 53(2A), p. 299-369. Gallé et al. 2005 Gallé László, Markó Bálint, Kiss Klara, Kovács Éva, Dürgő Hajnalka, Kőváry Katalin, Csősz Sándor, Ant fauna of Tisza river basin (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Gallé, L. (eds.): Vegetation and Fauna of Tisza River Basin I. – Tiscia Monograph Series (2005), 7, p. 149-197. Makarevich Makarevich, O. N., Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Lower 2003 Dnepr. In: Vest. Zool, 37(4), p. 51-56. Markó, 2008 Markó Bálint, Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the „Sand Dunes of Foieni” protected area and its surroundings (Satu Mare County, Romania) and a new species for the Romanian fauna. In: Acta Scientiarum Transylvanica – Múzeumi Füzetek, (2008), 16(3), p. 87-99. Markó et al. Markó Bálint, Sipos Botond, Csősz Sándor, Kiss Klara, Boros, Istvan, Gallé László, A 450

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2006 comprehensive list of the ants of Romania (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Myrmecological News 9 (2006), p. 65-76. Montandon, Montandon Arnold-Lucien, Santschi Felix, Contributions á la faune entomologique de la Santschi 1910 Roumanie. Formicides. In: Bulletin de la Société Roumaine des Sciences, (1910), 19, p. 648-654. Paraschivescu Paraschivescu Dinu, Contribuţii la cunoaşterea formicidelor din stepa şi podişul Dobrogei. 1961 In: Studii şi cercetări biologice, seria Biologie Animală, (1961), 13, p. 457-465. Petráková Petráková Lenka, Populations of the ant Liometopum microcephalum (Panzer, 1798) at different spatial scales. PhD Thesis. Masarykova univerzita, Přírodovědecká fakulta (2016). 2016 Petráková, Petráková Lenka, Schlaghamerský Jiří, Interactions between Liometopum microcephalum Schlaghamerský (Formicidae) and other dominant ant species of sympatric occurrence. In: Community 2011 ecology, (2011), 12(1), p. 9-17. Seifert 2007 Seifert Bernard, Die Ameisen Mittel- und Nordeuropas. lutra Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Tauer, (2007), 368 pp Seiert 2012a Seifert Bernard, Clarifying naming and identification of the outdoor species of the ant genus Tapinoma Förster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Europe north of the Mediterranean region with description of a new species. In: Myrmecological News (2012), 16, p. 139-147 Seiert 2012b Seifert Bernard, A review of the West Palaearctic species of the ant genus Bothriomyrmex Emery, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Myrmecological News, (2012), 17, p. 91- 104. Schlaghamerský Schlaghamerský Jiří,, Kašpar Jan, Petráková Lenka, Šustr Vladimir, Trophobiosis in the et al. 2013 arboricolous ant Liometopum microcephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). In: European Journal of Entomology, (2013), 110(2), 231. ***Report 2016, Propunere pentru înființarea ariei naturale protejate Pășunile cu arbori bătrâni de la Nușfalău

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1. Habitat of Liometopum microcephalum in Enisala Forest (Dobrogea) Fig. 2. Known distribution of Liometopum microcephalum in Romania (black circles – new records; white squares – published data)

LISTA ILUSTRAȚIILOR

Fig. 1. Habitatul speciei Liometopum microcephalum în Pădurea Enisala (Dobrogea) Fig. 2. Distribuția cunoscută a speciei Liometopum microcephalum în România (cercuri negre – semnalări noi; pătrate albe – date publicate)

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Brukenthal. Acta Musei, XIII. 3, 2018 Updated distribution of the velvety tree ant Liometopum Microcephalum (Panzer, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Romania

Fig. 1 Habitat of Liometopum microcephalum in Enisala Forest (Dobrogea) (photo: I. Ș. Iorgu)

Fig. 2 Known distribution of Liometopum microcephalum in Romania (black circles – new records; white squares – published data)

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