Records of the Ant Cricket Myrmecophilus Acervorum from the Northern Border of the Distribution Range (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae)
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Ent. Tidskr. 138 (2017) Myrmecophilus acervorum in the Nordic countries Records of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus acervorum from the northern border of the distribution range (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) THOMAS STALLING, MARTIN SJÖDAHL & POUL ULRIK Stalling, T., Sjödahl, M. & Ulrik, P.: Records of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus acervo- rum from the northern border of the distribution range (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae). [Myrsyrsan Myrmecophilus acervorum funnen i Danmark och Sverige, en ny insekts- familj för Norden.] – Entomologisk Tidskrift 138 (2): 97-101. Uppsala, Sweden 2017. ISSN 0013-886x. The first records of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus acervorum (Panzer, [1799]) and the family Myrmecophilidae in Denmark and Sweden are described. The species was found in warm, ruderal places in the ant nest of Lasius spp. The records showed that the distribu- tion range of M. acervorum is stretching further north than hitherto known. M. acervorum might have expanded the distribution area northwards recently, but it might also have been overlooked. Reasons for such an expansion remain speculative, but it could be caused by global warming or other population effects or introduction by humans, as they may have been transported within ant nests in soil, stones or wood deposited in ruderal places. Thomas Stalling, Möndenweg 26, 79594 Inzlingen, Germany; [email protected]. Martin Sjödahl, Ladugårdsgatan 3, 55338 Jönköping, Sweden, [email protected]. Poul Ulrik, Øbakkevej 6, 2765 Smørum, Denmark, [email protected] The ant cricket Myrmecophilus acervorum (Pan- grad Oblast) (Schimmer 1909), Slovakia (Fedor zer, [1799]) is a small cricket (3.5-4.5 mm) that 2001) and Spain (Stalling et al. 2015). The exact lives as a kleptoparasite in the ant nests (Schimmer eastern and southern distribution boundaries re- 1909, Hölldobler 1947, Junker 1997). Ant crick- main unknown. The species has been assessed in ets feed on food resources in the ant nest (waste, the actual IUCN Red List as of ‘Least Concern’ sometimes brood) and provoke their hosts to re- (Hochkirch et al. 2016). Nine valid Myrmecophi- gurgitate liquid food (Wetterer & Hugel 2008). lus species have been described from Europe to M. acervorum has a wide distribution throughout date, all of them except M. acervorum live in Europe from Spain to the Caucasus and is until Southern and Southeastern Europe. M. acervo- now known from the following countries: Arme- rum is easily distinguished from all other species nia (Stalling 2013), Austria (Zechner et al. 2005), by its dark-brown body colouration with pale Bulgaria (unpublished data D. Chobanov), the ochreous posterior borders on the pronotum and Czech Republic (Bezdĕčka et al. 2000), France tergite I (Stalling & Birrer 2013). (Sardet et al. 2015), Germany (Schimmer 1909, M. acervorum is known from about 20 dif- Hölldobler 1947), Hungary (Zoltan 2006), Lithu- ferent host ant species and shows a preference ania (Markevičius 2015), Luxembourg (Proess et to Lasius species (Franc et al. 2015), and it is al. 2004), Poland (Taszakowski et al. 2013), Ro- known to reproduce parthenogenetically (Junker mania (Iorgu et al. 2008), Republic of Macedonia 1997). (unpublished data T. Stalling), Russia (Kalinin- 97 Tomas Stalling, Martin Sjödahl & Poul Ulrik Ent. Tidskr. 138 (2017) Figure 1. Myrmecophilus acer- vorum, adult female, Copen- hagen, Denmark, 9.vii.2016. Photo: Jens Søgaard Hansen. Fynd av jordmyrsyrsan Myr- mecophilus acervorum, inne- bar upptäckten av en helt ny insektsfamilj för Norden. Här en vuxen hona från den allra första fyndplatsen i Norden, i Köpenhamn 9.vii.2016. Foto: Jens Søgaard Hansen. Djuret är ca 4 mm. Materials and Methods Results Ant nests were unsystematically checked for the Myrmecophilus acervorum was found at the fol- presence of ant guests by turning over stones lowing localities: and tiles. The Myrmecophilus specimens were Denmark: Capital region, Copenhagen, 55° photographed and subsequently released after 39’ 52” N, 012° 33’34” E, 2 m, 1 ♀ adult in a collecting specimens. Specimen identification nest of Lasius sp., 25.x.2015, leg. Poul Ulrik, was performed based on photographs according det. Thomas Stalling; 09.vii.2016, 5 ♀♀ adults, to the criteria of Stalling & Birrer (2013), espe- place as above, in a nest of L. niger (Linnaeus, cially by its typical colouration. 1758), leg. & det. Poul Ulrik and Jens Søgaard Hansen (Fig. 1) and one ♀ in coll. Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen (ZMUC). The habitat was a ruderal railway area in the city centre, with a very warm local summer climate (Fig. 3). The specimens were found in the ant nests under tiles within a distance of ~20 m. The habitat was destroyed soon after the finding by a development area. Sweden: Småland, Blomstermåla, 56° 58’51.6” N, 016° 19’22.1” E, 30 m, 1 ♀ adult in a nest of Lasius flavus (Fabricius, 1782), 20.v.2016, leg. Martin Sjödahl, det. Thomas Figure 2. Myrmecophilus acervorum, adult female, Blom- Stalling; 01.iv.2017, 2 ♀♀ adults, place as stermåla, Sweden, 01.iv.2017. Photo: Martin Sjödahl. above, in ant nests, leg. & det. Martin Sjödahl, Jordmyrsyrsan Myrmecophilus acervorum hittades strax both coll. Swedish Museum of Natural History efter det första fyndet även i Sverige. Vuxen hona foto- Stockholm (NHRS), (Fig. 2). The habitat was a graferad på lokalen i Blomstermåla, Småland 01.iv.2017. former industrial area close to a broadleaf forest, Foto: Martin Sjödahl. which is actually used as a dump for stones, sand 98 Ent. Tidskr. 138 (2017) Myrmecophilus acervorum in the Nordic countries Figure 3. Habitat of Myrme- cophilus acervorum, Copen- hagen, Denmark, 9.vii.2016. Photo: Jens Søgaard Han- sen. Fyndplatsen för Myrme- cophilus acervorum i Köpen- hamn, en ruderatmiljö som exploaterades strax efter fyndet gjordes. Foto: Jens Søgaard Hansen. and wood (Fig. 4). The specimen was found in and recently, the species was found in Lithuania an ant nest under stones. for the first time (Markevičius 2015).M. acervo- rum might have expanded the distribution area Discussion northwards recently, but it might also have been The records of M. acervorum mentioned above possibly overlooked so far. Reasons for such are the first of the species and of the family Myr- an expansion remain speculative. One reason mecophilidae in Denmark and Sweden. The re- might be an expansion because of global warm- cords showed that the distribution range of M. ing or other population effects, which is support- acervorum is stretching further north than hither- ed by the fact that there were also several newly to known. Previously, the northernmost records found localities within the known distribution were known from the Kaliningrad region in area in recent times (e.g. Bönsel & Möller 2008, Russia (Schimmer 1909) and Mecklenburg-Vor- Taszakowski et al. 2013), and there are several pommern in Germany (Bönsel & Möller 2008), other orthopteran species expanding northwards Figure 4. Habitat of Myrmecophilus acervorum, Blomster- Figure 5. Carabus auronitens, is also found on the Swedsih måla, Sweden, 01.iv.2017. Photo: Martin Sjödahl. locality, and probably introduced by humans. Lokalen för jordmyrsyrsan Myrmecophilus acervorum i Blom- Praktlöpare Carabus auronitens, finns också på lokalen i stermåla, Småland är också ruderatmark där en hel del sten, Blomstermåla, och är troligen hitförd genom människans trä, jord och liknande stjälpts av. Foto: Martin Sjödahl. försorg. 01.iv.2017. Photo: Martin Sjödahl. 99 Tomas Stalling, Martin Sjödahl & Poul Ulrik Ent. Tidskr. 138 (2017) because of global warming at the present time distribution and ecology of the ant cricket (Myrmecoph- (e.g. Kočárek et al. 2008, Bakker et al. 2015). ilus acervorum) (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) in Slo- vakia – Matthias Belivs Univ. Proc. (UMB Banská Bys- The finding locality in Copenhagen, Denmark, trica) 5, Suppl. 2: 40-50. is located in the city centre and has a very warm Hochkirch, A., et al. 2016. European Red List of Grasshoppers, local summer climate. In the same place, the Crickets and Bush-crickets. – Luxembourg: Publications rove beetle Xantholinus elegans (Olivier, 1795) Office of the European Union. Hölldobler, K. 1947. Studien über die Ameisengrille (Myr- was newly found in Denmark in 2016 (Poul Ul- mecophilus acervorum Panzer) im mittleren Mainge- rik, unpublished data), and Jens Søgaard Hansen biet. – Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomolo- discovered the first Danish breed of Phanerop- gischen Gesellschaft 20: 607-648. tera falcata (Poda, 1761) in 2014 (unpublished Iorgu, I., Pisicǎ, E., Pǎiș, Lupu, G., Iușan, C. 2008. Check- data). The Swedish locality in eastern Småland list of Romanian Orthoptera (Insecta) and their Distri- bution by Eco-regions. – Travaux du Muséum National is in an area known for high summer tempera- d’Histoire Naturelle «Grigore Antipa» LI: 119-135. tures. In the same place, the sand lizard Lacerta Junker, E. 1997. Untersuchungen zur Lebensweise und agilis Linnaeus, 1758, was found. This indi- Entwicklung von Myrmecophilus acervorum (Panzer, cates that the microclimate on the finding site 1799) (Saltatoria: Myrmecophilidae). – Articulata 12: 93-106. is favourable. In the same place, a population Kočárek, P., Holuša, J., Vlk, R., Marhoul, P., Zuna-Kratky, of the ground beetle Carabus auronitens Fabri- T. 2008. Recent expansions of the bush-crickets Pha- cius, 1792, was discovered in 2009 (Kronblad neroptera falcata and Phaneroptera nana (Orthoptera: 2011). C. auronitens was formerly not known Tettigoniidae) in the Czech Republic. – Articulata from the Nordic countries and it has been found 23(1): 67-75. Kronblad, W. 2011. En ny Carabus-art för Norden (Coleop- several times thereafter until 2017 and has an tera, Carabidae). [A new Carabus species for the Nor- established population in the Swedish site (Fig dic countries (Coleoptera, Carabidae).] – Entomologisk 5). It has a wide European distribution similar to Tidskrift 132: 121-123. that of M. acervorum, with closest localities in Markevičius, G. 2015. Detection of a new Orthoptera spe- cies for Lithuania. Insects.lt [25.1.2017], – < http:// Poland and Germany. Since both the Danish and www.insects.lt/aptikta-nauja-lietuvai-tiesiasparniu- Swedish findings are in ruderal areas, it is likely rusis/ >.