Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography 34 (2019): 51–57

Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921, a trans-Ionian new to Italy (, Formicidae)

ENRICO SCHIFANI1,*, ANTONIO ALICATA2

1 Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, I-43124 Parma (Italy) 2 Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, section Biology, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, I-95124 Catania (Italy) * corresponding author: [email protected]

Keywords: Aphaenogaster pallida-group, first record, trans-Adriatic, Myrmicinae, myrmecofauna.

ABSTRACT The first data on the presence of the Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921 in Italy are presented. Mainly distributed across the Balkans, from Greece to Croatia, A. finzii was discovered in Calabria, in the South-Eastern part of the Italian peninsula. As in the case of many other species of and other organisms found in this region, a trans-Ionian dispersal appears to be the most likely explanation of its distribution.

INTRODUCTION discovered, especially from the South of the The Italian ant fauna currently counts about 270 country, which is less explored. A taxa (Antweb, 2019), including many only comprehensive analysis of the biogeography of added during the last two decades, as a result of the Italian myrmecofauna was never attempted either taxonomic (Rigato 1999, Radchenko et in the past, and although such step is highly al. 2006, Csősz et al. 2007, Schulz et al. 2007, desirable in the future, it would probably be Elmes et al. 2008, Steiner et al. 2010, Seifert premature now, since many new discoveries 2012, Rigato 2011, Seifert et al. 2017, Wagner may be expected. et al. 2017, Steiner et al. 2018, Alicata & Due to its particular geographic Schifani 2019) or faunistic investigations position, the Italian territory is the easternmost (Bonelli et al. 2004, Rigato & Toni 2011, distribution area of many Western- Schifani 2017, Schifani & Alicata 2018). Mediterranean species, where they are often Additional diversity is expected to be limited to Liguria or Sicily regions (examples

Schifani & Alicata, 2019 Biogeographia 34: 51–57 51 are Aphaenogaster dulciniae Emery, 1924, A. while Tetramorium diomedeum Emery, 1908 is gibbosa (Latreille, 1798), Camponotus only known from the Southern part of the barbaricus Emery, 1905, C. cruentatus Italian peninsula and Sicily (Sanetra et al. (Latreille, 1802), C. ruber Emery, 1925, C. 1999). The Italian endemism Cataglyphis sylvaticus (Olivier, 1792), Messor barbarus italica (Emery, 1906) seemingly has an Eastern (Linnaeus, 1767), M. bouvieri Bondroit, 1918, origin (Emery 1906) and is only present in grassei Le Masne, 1956). At the South-Eastern Italy (Baroni Urbani 1971), and same time, Italy also contains the westernmost the same can be noted regarding Tetramorium occurrences of many Eastern-Mediterranean sanetrai Schulz & Csősz, 2007 (Csősz et al. species. Some of these species are relatively 2007), while some members of the widespread across the Italian territory, as in the Aphaenogaster testaceopilosa group distributed case of Camponotus dalmaticus (Nylander, from the Adriatic coast to Sicily may also have 1849) and microcephalum (both an Eastern origin (Centorame et al. 2018). are absent from Sardinia, see Baroni Urbani Finally, Aphaenogaster muelleriana Wolf, 1915 1971), while in other cases their presence is and Camponotus tergestinus Müller, 1921 are mainly limited to the North-Eastern part of the present both in South-Eastern and in North- country (usually Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Eastern Italy, with apparently unconnected Giulia regions), and/or to the South-Eastern populations (Scupola 2017, Bračko 2017, part of the peninsula, mainly in Apulia, Schifani & Alicata 2018). Basilicata and Calabria regions (but sometimes Gridelli (1950), working on Coleoptera, also Sicily). The South-Eastern part of the presented an interesting biogeographic peninsula is an area rich of trans-Adriatic and framework to classify current distribution trans-Ionian taxa, presumably due to patterns of species present both in the Balkans hypothetical quaternary land bridges with the and in Italy, which may easily be used to Balkans or older Miocene fragmentation of the interpret the condition of many of the Aegaeis (Gridelli 1950; Jesse et al., 2009; abovementioned taxa. Çıplak et al. 2010; Korábek et al. 2014; Blain et al. 2016). For example, Crematogaster schmidti Here we report and discuss on the (Mayr, 1853) and Prenolepis nitens (Mayr, discovery of an additional Eastern ant species in 1853) are limited to the North-Eastern portions Italy, Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921, which of the Italian territory (Baroni Urbani 1971), was collected in Southern Italy (Calabria).

Fig. 1 Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921, holotype worker from Croatia, stored in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Trieste, Italy. From left to right: dorsal view, head view, lateral view. Photos by Silvia Castro- Delgado.

52 Biogeographia 34: 51–57 Schifani & Alicata, 2019 Calabria, Italy, 39.290411, 16.980319, 500m Quercus suber L. forest, litter sampling, 05.iv.19, G. Sabella & D. Mifsud legit. All samples are currently preserved in the Antonio Alicata personal collection (Catania, Italy) – AACI. The original worker description of A. finzii (Müller 1921) and especially the following descriptions of its male and queen (Müller 1923) may be insufficient for the species identification. However, A. finzii is a remarkable species in its appearance (Figs. 1, 2), which should not be confused with most of the Italian congeneric species even at first glance when workers are observed. The combination of their very shiny aspect, long mesosoma hairs, mesosoma shape and body proportions (e.g. legs length, short scapes, relatively small eyes) immediately distinguish them as members of the A. pallida group (sensu Boer 2013). Müller (1921) emphasizes also a similarity to A. subterranea (Latreille, 1798), especially regarding the size and shape of the propodeal spines, but members of the A. subterranea group have a much deeper metanotal groove (Alicata & Schifani 2019) in addition to a usually more developed sculpture and shorter hairs on the mesosoma. Among the Italian representatives of the A. pallida group, A. finzii workers can be easily separated from

A. pallida (Nylander, 1849), present in Sicily Fig. 2 Aphaenogaster finzii Müller, 1921, worker and Southern Italy, due to its lack of propodeal collected during 2018 near Pallagorio, Calabria, spines, and from A. dulciniae, only present in Antonio Alicata personal collection. From up to down: dorsal view, head view, lateral view. Photos Liguria, due to their different mesosoma by Enrico Schifani. (including shorter spines) and head shape. The shape of mesosoma is an unreliable and misleading character for workers identification MATERIALS AND METHODS in some ant species (e.g. Camponotus lateralis (Olivier, 1792), see Seifert 2018) but proved to Workers of A. finzii were collected in two be one of the most reliable and easy characters localities, both North-East-facing slopes of hills in some recently revised species of characterized by a moist habitats of evergreen Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853 (Alicata & Schifani oaks: Vallone Suvaro, Pallagorio (KR), 2019). Aphaenogaster finzii workers are also Calabria, Italy, WGS84 coordinates: 39.321814 distinguished by a larger size and significantly and 16.916941, 485m, open patches in a developed, usually horizontal, propodeal spines Quercus ilex L. forest, among mossy stones, when compared to most of the similar species direct sampling, 15.iv.2016 and 13.iv.2018, A. of the Balkans (Agosti and Collingwood 1978). Alicata legit; San Nicola dell’Alto (KR), Schifani & Alicata, 2019 Biogeographia 34: 51–57 53 confused with each other as the has DISCUSSION sometimes been overlooked by specialists (e.g. see Boer 2013, Alicata & Schifani 2019). Most of the species of the A. pallida group Although A. finzii is very easily distinguished (sensu Boer 2013) are Eastern-Mediterranean: among the congeneric Italian species, it cannot A. lesbica Forel, 1913, A. finzii Müller, 1921, A. be excluded that it may still have been confused holtzi (Emery, 1898), A. subterranoides Emery, with others in the past. Finally, its distribution 1881 are distributed from the Balkans to range in Calabria and neighbouring areas could Anatolia. On the other hand, A. pallida and its be relatively small, and a proper investigation two closely related forms, A. pallida laurenti effort is required on this matter. Santschi, 1939 and A. leveillei Emery, 1881, which need further taxonomic investigation, are Many ant species are being introduced distributed from the Italian peninsula and in the Mediterranean region, thriving mostly in Corsica south to Sicily and the Maghreb as well anthropogenic habitats (Schifani 2019). as in Southern Spain. Aphaenogaster dulciniae Historic intra-Mediterranean introductions are is mainly distributed through Iberia and still very little-studied and their contribute to Mediterranean France, barely reaching the the current fauna assemblages is almost Italian territory (Baroni Urbani 1971, Cagniant completely unknown (Schifani 2019). 1996, Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski 2009, Sometimes, they may represent the most Collingwood & Yarrow 1969, Collingwood & credible explanation to actual distributions that Prince 1998). were previously attributed to older biogeographic processes (Jowers et al. 2015). Aphaenogaster finzii ranges from However, nothing particularly suggests A. finzii Greece (including the Peloponnese) north to to be an introduced species in Calabria, Croatia (where the northernmost records are considering its discovery in a natural habitat from the Dinaric region, very close to the and above all the biogeography of the area, Italian territory – see Baroni Urbani 1971) which hosts geographically isolated populations through Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and of many other taxa either currently present in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bračko 2006, Bračko the Balkans or whose closest relatives are et al. 2014, Karaman 2011, Salata & Borowiec located in the Balkans. Since its apparent 2018, Petrov 2006, Vesnic & Skrijelj 2013). It absence through the rest of the peninsula, and is probably unrecorded in Albania only due to a the location of the current findings rather south, lack of sufficient investigation. Data on its A. finzii does not seem to be a trans-Adriatic habitat preferences is relatively scarce, but the species: a trans-Ionian dispersal appears to be few published localities with coordinates the most likely explanation of its distribution in (Bračko et al. 2014, Salata & Borowiec 2018), Italy, and may be ultimately verified and the habitats described by Karaman (2011) and analysed in detail only once an adequate set of the present finding roughly point to a molecular data on this species becomes preference for hilly habitats characterized by available. oak forests and open patches (which also seem to occur near most of the localities presented by Müller 1921, Zimmermann 1934, Bračko 2006, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Petrov 2006). A scarcity of myrmecological We wish to thank Silvia Castro-Delgado, exploration in Southern Italy appears to be the Entomology Section, Museo Civico di Storia most likely reason to justify the absence of Naturale di Trieste (Italy) for taking for us previous records of the species in this area. pictures of type specimens of Aphaenogaster Furthermore, many Mediterranean species of finzii. the genus Aphaenogaster have often been

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