Dr. Seifert teilt eine Liste von (meist kleinen) Fehlern in seinem Buch “The Ants of Central and North Europe” von 2018. Er empfiehlt die Weitergabe. Wer also das Buch besitzt, sollte die Änderungen hineinschreiben, oder ausdrucken und in das Buch legen. - Darf gerne auch in andere Foren übernommen werden; es geht ja alle Ameisenfreunde an!

Corrections to Seifert B 2018: The Ants of Central and North Europe. – lutra Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Tauer, 408 pp.

In the fourth year after the publication of my ant book, it is time to announce a number of corrections. I refer only to issues which result in wrong information but do not report, within a text of one and a half million characters, on minor misspellings, where the error is obvious. Findings of research made after July 2018 resulting in change or modification of knowledge are also not reported here except for the Plagiolepis pyrenaica issue.

p. 43, Figs. 61-63

A botanist told me that the shown plant is not Vicia sepium but belongs to Vicia angustifolia aggr. There are several Vicia species with extrafloral nectaries visited by ants in the reference area.

pp. 17, 65, 68, 74, 122, 123, 251, 253, 254

I was forced to give up the intention to describe the western sibling species of Plagiolepis taurica Santschi 1920 as a new species Plagiolepis "OCCIDENTALIS". Virtually the last of some ten type specimens checked by numeric character evaluation made it clear that there is an available name for this species: Plagiolepis pyrenaica Emery 1921. Many thanks to Maria Tavano from MCSN Genova who finally enabled a loan of these types from Corona-stricken Italy.

p. 67, column "TH"

Occurrence of Hypoponera ergatandria in Thüringen is highly probable but so far not confirmed by examined voucher specimens. Change "1" to "x".

p. 89

There was a sign confused in the discriminant function for separation of Leptothorax gredleri and L. muscorum. Thanks to Herbert Wagner from Graz who directed my attention to this error. The correct function has to be:

42.642*CW + 38.314*SL - 133.942*PoOc - 10.664.

p. 127

A sign was confused in the discriminant function for separation of the Lasius emarginatus complex from other Lasius. Again, I give my thanks to Herbert Wagner for reporting this mistake. The correct function has to be:

24.63*SL + 51.992*dCLAN - 55.46*PoOc -7.557*CW - 6.521.

p. 160, left column

Replace

"(c) incomplete range overlap (in Siberia and in southern Scandinavia only lonae; in France, N Spain, Ukrainian and Russian steppes only sabuleti)"

by

"(c) incomplete range overlap (in Siberia only lonae; in France, N Spain, Ukrainian steppes and Caucasus only sabuleti)"

p. 200

Replace "Temnothorax Forel 1890" by "Temnothorax Mayr 1861"

p. 204, left column

"Distincly xerothermophilous, mainly arboricolous but locally in open limstone areas with much scree also on ground". Delete " but locally in open limstone areas with much scree also on ground".

p. 204, right column

Delete "in hot open limestone areas also between limestone plates."

Both errors on p. 204 are due to intentional misinformation coming from the treacherous master student Alexander Prosche who published a series of deceptive information in different entomological journals. For each "finding" he presented me a correctly determined "voucher specimen" stolen either from the ant collection in SMN Görlitz or collected by himself in a remote site. For details see: Seifert, B. & Sonnenburg, H. (2020): Kommentare zu den Ameisenaufsammlungen von Alexander Prosche. – Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte 63/3 :80-83.

p. 282, right column, fourth line from below, after "Baden-Württemberg":

Delete "plots"

p. 345, left column, 18th line from below, change to

"...alates do not need much feeding..."

MfG,

Merkur

Species Paraphyly and Social Parasitism: Phylogenomics, Morphology, and Geography Clarify the Evolution of the Pseudomyrmex elongatulus Group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Mesoamerican Ant Clade.
Philip S Ward, Michael G Branstetter.

https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/6/1/4/6514767

First Phylogenomic Assessment of the Amphitropical New World Ant Genus Dorymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Longstanding Taxonomic Puzzle.
Jill T Oberski.

https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/6/1/8/6514762

UCE Phylogenomics Resolves Major Relationships Among Ectaheteromorph Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ectatomminae, Heteroponerinae): A New Classification For the Subfamilies and the Description of a New Genus.
G P Camacho, W Franco, M G Branstetter, M R Pie, J T Longino ...

https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/6/1/5/6514765

The Last Piece of the Puzzle? Phylogenetic Position and Natural History of the Monotypic Fungus-Farming Ant Genus Paramycetophylax (Formicidae: Attini).
Priscila Elena Hanisch, Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo, Ted R Schultz.

https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/6/1/11/6514766

And

UCE Phylogenomics of New World Cryptopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Elucidates Genus Boundaries, Species Boundaries, and the Vicariant History of a Temperate–Tropical Disjunction.
Michael G Branstetter, John T Longino.

https://academic.oup.com/isd/article/6/1/6/6514768

Billen, J. P. J. (editor.), 1992, “Biology and evolution of social insects.” Leuven, Leuven University Press, ix + 390 pp.

Eder, J., Rembold, H. (editors.), 1987, “Chemistry and biology of social insects.” München, Verlag J. Peperny, xxxv + 757 pp.

Howse, P. E., Clement, J.-L. (editors.), 1981, “Biosystematics of social insects.” Systematics Association Special Volume No. 19. London, Academic Press, 346 pp.

Lofgren, C. S., Vander Meer, R. K. (editors.), 1986, “Fire ants and leaf-cutting ants. Biology and management.” Boulder, Westview Press, xv + 435 pp.

P.S. I have all of them except Forel 1921-1948!

Olaf: "Sein Wirken wird vermisst werden."

Genau.

Shingo Hosoishi, Seiki Yamane, Heng Sokh.

https://dez.pensoft.net/article/63478/ or https://dez.pensoft.net/article/63478/d ... pdf/563072

And an oldie:

Borowiec, M. L. 2019. Convergent evolution of the army ant syndrome and congruence in big-data phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 68:642-656.

http://antcat.org/documents/8126/borowi ... nomics.pdf

And something completely different:

Revision of the genus Attaphila (Blattodea: Blaberoidea), myrmecophiles living in the mushroom gardens of leaf-cutting ants.

Horst Bohn, Volker Nehring, Jonathan Rodríguez G., Klaus-Dieter Klass.

https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub. ... cle/67569/

or

https://arthropod-systematics.arphahub. ... pdf/563078 with six supplements.

A remarkable finding:

The first queen-worker association for Cretaceous Formicidae: the winged caste of Haidomyrmex cerberus.

Yuanyuan Guo, Chungkun Shih, De Zhuo, Dong Ren, Yunyun Zhao, Taiping Gao.

https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/66920/ or https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/669 ... pdf/563903

Kutter, H., 1920, “”Gehe hin zur Ameise!” Anleitung zur selbständigen Ameisenforschung.” Naturwissenschaftliche Beobachtungsbücher 1-2: viii + 165 pp.

Now, why is this book so important for me? It was written in 1920, so 100 years ago, and though it was really good for those myrmecologists at that time, it is old and probably for a big part out of date. So, why is it important for me?

H. Kutter was one of those great myrmecologists that I personally contacted. It was about Kutter, H., 1978, “Hymenoptera: Formicidae.” Insecta Helvetica, Fauna 6a: 404 ills. This book is a supplement to Kutter, H., 1977, “Hymenoptera, Formicidae.” Insecta Helvetica, Fauna 6: 1-298. At that moment I had Fauna 6 and was looking for Fauna 6a. At last, without a copy found, I wrote Kutter. Sadly, his answer came and he told me there weren’t any exemplars left of the little book (Lucky for me, I found an exemplar by a second hand bookstore and still have it in my collection.). This was in the last years of his life.

Kutter was one of the great myrmecologists that came from Switzerland. He was a student from A.-H. Forel and just like Forel, a Swiss neuroanatomist and psychiatrist, Kutter was a Swiss pharmacist with his own Ant Pharmacy („Ameisenapotheke“). His research about ants was a “great hobby” for him that made him one of the great myrmecologists. Like you can see in his Fauna 6, it was a very big and incredible job to do.

But there was still one more thing great about him, he discovered that little ant Teleutomyrmex schneideri, the Final Ant, Kutter, H., 1950, “Über eine neue, extrem parasitische Ameise. 1. Mitteilung.” Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 23: 81-94. The description of this species took 14 pages, but the original series took 100 pages, in total 4 articles, his article, Stumper, R., 1951, “Teleutomyrmex schneideri Kutter (Hym. Formicid.). II. Mitteilung. Über die Lebensweise der neuen Schmarotzerameise.” Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 24: 129-152, Brun, R., 1952, “Das Zentralnervensystem von Teleutomyrmex Schneideri Kutt. (Hym. Formicid.). III. Mitteilung.” Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 25: 73-86 and Gösswald, K., 1953, “Histologische Untersuchungen an der arbeiterlosen Ameise Teleutomyrmex schneideri Kutter (Hym. Formicidae).” Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 26: 81-128. All this work was reviewed and more in Kutter, H., 1968 ("1969"), “Die sozialparasitischen Ameisen der Schweiz.” Neujahrsblatt. Naturforschende Gesellschaft in Zürich 171: 1-62.

After 24 years in his life he published a little book about ants and how to keep them, Kutter, H., 1920, “"Gehe hin zur Ameise!" Anleitung zur selbständigen Ameisenforschung.” Naturwissenschaftliche Beobachtungsbücher 1-2: 164 pp. What he thought and what he wished about ants is included in it and it is the almost “starting point” about his ant-work. His publications run from 1913 to 1986 and are very important for Europe.

Camponotus kutteri

kutteri. Camponotus (Myrmamblys) kutteri Forel, 1915a: 40 (s.w.q.m.) INDONESIA (Sumatra).

Forel, A. 1915a. Fauna Simalurensis. Hymenoptera Aculeata, Fam. Formicidae. Tijdschr. Entomol. 58: 22-43 (page 40, soldier, worker, queen, male described)

Temnothorax kutteri

kutteri. Chalepoxenus kutteri Cagniant, 1973: 148, figs. 1-4 (w.q.m.) FRANCE. Combination in Temnothorax: Ward et al., 2014: 15.

Buschinger, A. (2009) Social parasitism among ants: a review. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 12: 219-235.

Cagniant, H. 1973b. Description et représentation des trois castes de Chalepoxenus kutteri (nov. sp.) (Hyménoptères Formicidae - Myrmicidae). Insectes Soc. 20: 145-156 (page 148, figs. 1-4 worker, queen, male described)

Ward, P.S., Brady, S.G., Fisher, B.L. & Schultz, T.R. 2015. The evolution of myrmicine ants: phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology, 40: 61-81.

Crematogaster kutteri

kutteri. Crematogaster kutteri Viehmeyer, 1924b: 314 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166

Viehmeyer, H. 1924c. Formiciden der australischen Faunenregion. (Fortsetzung). Entomol. Mitt. 13: 310-319 (page 314, worker described)

Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp.

Leptothorax kutteri

kutteri. Leptothorax (Mychothorax) kutteri Buschinger, 1966a: 327, figs. 1, 2, 3 (q.m.) GERMANY. Combination in Doronomyrmex: Buschinger, 1981: 215; in Leptothorax: Heinze, 1998: 195 (combination not stated); Bolton, 2003: 270. See also: Kutter, 1967b: 85; Kutter, 1977c: 130; Buschinger, 1972: 169.

Blatrix R., Lebas C., Wegnez P., Galkowski C., Buschinger A., 2013. New data on the distribution of Leptothorax pacis and L. kutteri, two very rare parasitic ants, and confirmation of the presence of L. gredleri in France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Revue de l’Association Roussillonnaise d’Entomologie, 22, 85-91.

Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 272, Combination revived in Leptothorax)

Buschinger, A. 1966a [1965]. Leptothorax (Mychothorax) kutteri n. sp., eine sozialparasitische Ameise (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Insectes Soc. 12: 327-334 PDF (page 327, figs. 1, 2, 3 queen, male described)

Buschinger, A. 1972a. Kreuzung zweier sozialparasitischer Ameisenarten, Doronymyrmex pacis Kutter und Leptothorax kutteri Buschinger (Hym., Formicidae). Zool. Anz. 189: 169-179 (page 169, see also)

Buschinger, A. 1981. Biological and systematic relationships of social parasitic Leptothoracini from Europe and North America. Pp. 211-222 in: Howse, P. E., Clement, J.-L. (eds.) Biosystematics of social insects. Systematics Association Special Volume No. 19. London: Academic Press, 346 pp. (page 215, Combination in Doronomyrmex)

Buschinger, A. (2009) Social parasitism among ants: a review. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 12: 219-235.

Heinze, J. 1998 [1995]. The origin of workerless parasites in Leptothorax (s. str.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche (Camb.) 102: 195-214 (page 195, Returned to Leptothorax)

Kutter, H. 1967c. Beschreibung neuer Sozialparasiten von Leptothorax acervorum F. (Formicidae). Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 40: 78-91 (page 85, see also)

Kutter, H. 1977c. Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Insecta Helv. Fauna 6: 1-298 (page 130, see also)

Ødegaard, F., K.M. Olsen, A. Staverløkk, and J. O. Gjershaug. 2015. Towards a new era for the knowledge of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Norway? Nine species new to the country. Norwegian Journal of Entomology. 62:80-99.

Myrmecina kutteri

This taxon is not in use as it is currently considered to be a junior synonym of Myrmecina graminicola.

kutteri. Myrmecina kutteri Forel, 1914b: 1 (w.) ITALY. [Also described as new by Forel, 1915d: 21 (w.q.m.).] Subspecies of graminicola: Emery, 1916b: 171. Junior synonym of graminicola: Brown, 1951: 106.

Brown, W. L., Jr. 1951. New synonymy of a few genera and species of ants. Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 46: 101-106 (page 106, Junior synonym of graminicola)

Emery, C. 1916a [1915]. Fauna entomologica italiana. I. Hymenoptera.-Formicidae. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 47: 79-275 (page 171, Variety of graminicola)

Forel, A. 1914b. Deux nouveautés myrmécologiques. Yvorne, Switzerland: published by the author, 1 p. (page 1, worker described)

Forel, A. 1915d. Fauna insectorum helvetiae. Hymenoptera. Formicidae. Die Ameisen der Schweiz. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 12(B Beilage: 1-77 (page 21, [Also described as new by Forel, 1915d: 21 worker, queen, male described)

Tetramorium kutteri

kutteri. Teleutomyrmex kutteri Tinaut, 1990b: 202, figs. 1-3, photos. 1-2 (q.m.) SPAIN. Combination in Tetramorium: Ward et al., 2014: 16.

Buschinger, A. (2009). Social parasitism among ants: a review. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 12: 219-235.

Kiran, K., Karaman, C., Lapeva-Gjonova, A. & Aksoy, V. 2017. Two new species of the “ultimate” parasitic ant genus Teleutomyrmex Kutter, 1950 from the Western Palaearctic. Myrmecological News 25: 145-155.

Tinaut, A. 1990b. Teleutomyrmex kutteri, spec. nov. A new species from Sierra Nevada (Granada, Spain). Spixiana 13: 201-208 (page 202, figs. 1-3, photos. 1-2 queen, male described)

Ward, P.S., Brady, S.G., Fisher, B.L. & Schultz, T.R. 2014. The evolution of myrmicine ants: phylogeny and biogeography of a hyperdiverse ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology, 40: 61-81.

Messor semirufus kutteri

This taxon is not in use as it is currently considered to be a junior synonym of Messor semirufus.

kutteri. Messor semirufus var. kutteri Santschi, 1934d: 275 (w.) ITALY. Junior synonym of semirufus: Baroni Urbani, 1974: 227.

Baroni Urbani, C. 1974a. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. XII. Le Isole Pontine. Fragm. Entomol. 9: 225-252.

Santschi, F. 1934d. Fourmis d'une croisière. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 74: 273-282.

Myrmica schencki kutteri

This taxon is not in use as it is currently considered to be a junior synonym of Myrmica schencki.

kutteri. Myrmica schencki var. kutteri Finzi, 1926: 111 (w.m.) SWITZERLAND. Junior synonym of schencki: Bernard, 1967: 118.

Bernard, F. 1967a [1968]. Faune de l'Europe et du Bassin Méditerranéen. 3. Les fourmis (Hymenoptera Formicidae) d'Europe occidentale et septentrionale. Paris: Masson, 411 pp.

Finzi, B. 1926. Le forme europee del genere Myrmica Latr. Primo contributo. Boll. Soc. Adriat. Sci. Nat. Trieste 29: 71-119

Tetramorium semilaeve kutteri

This taxon is not in use as it is currently considered to be a junior synonym of Tetramorium indocile.

kutteri. Tetramorium semilaeve var. kutteri Santschi, 1927a: 57 (w.) SWITZERLAND.

Subspecies of semilaeve: Novák & Sadil, 1941: 85 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 410.

Junior synonym of indocile: Wagner, et al. 2017: 116.

Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp.

Novák, V.; Sadil, J. 1941. Klíc k urcování mravencu strední Evropy se zvlástním zretelem k mravencí zvírene Cech a Moravy. Entomol. Listy 4: 65-115

Santschi, F. 1927b. A propos du Tetramorium caespitum L. Folia Myrmecol. Termit. 1: 52-58 (page 57, worker described)

Wagner, H.C., Arthofer, W., Seifert, B., Muster, C., Steiner, F.M. & Schlick-Steiner, B.C. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex. Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.

Camponotus kutterianus

kutterianus. Camponotus kutterianus Baroni Urbani, 1972: 132, figs. 1-3 (w.) CUBA.

Baroni Urbani, C. 1972. Studi sui Camponotus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Basel 82:122-135.

Strongylognathus huberi st. cecconii var. kutteri Santschi, 1927a: 58 (q.) ITALY (Sicily). Unavailable name; material referred to destefanii by Baroni Urbani, 1964b: 54.

Santschi, F. 1927b. A propos du Tetramorium caespitum L. Folia Myrmecol. Termit. 1: 52-58.

Baroni Urbani, C. 1964b. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. II. Formiche di Sicilia. Atti Accad. Gioenia Sci. Nat. (6) 16: 25-66.

On AntWeb:

“Distribution:
Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
Asia: Japan.
Europe: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
Palearctic.
Native to (according to species list records):
Palearctic bioregion.”
And “Distribution. Throughout Denmark and Southern Fennoscandia to latitude 62°; South Ireland, England and Wales. - Range: Portugal to Japan and North India, South Italy to Finland.
Biology. This distinctive species is easily recognised by its shining black colour and broad head. Carton nests are constructed at the base of old trees, hedgerows and sometimes in sand dunes and in old walls. Colonies are populous, often polycalic with more than one focal nest and several queens. Workers forage above ground in narrow files throughout the day and night during warm weather, ascending trees and shrubs to tend aphids. The mandibles are relatively weak but small insects may be taken as food. Other competing ant species are repelled by aromatic anal secretions. Fertilised queens may be retained in the old nest or found fresh colonies through adoption by the members of the Lasius umbratusHNS species group; mixed colonies with L. umbratusHNS or L. mixtusHNS have often been observed. Flight periods are irregular and have been recorded in all months from May to October. A number of local beetles occur with this species including members of the genus Zyras which exhibit protective mimicry. Walden (1964), records an enormous nest measuring 63 x 55 x 55 cm found in a cellar near Goteborg and there are similar reports from outbuildings and cellars in England (Donisthorpe, 1927).
Specimen Habitat Summary.
Found most commonly in these habitats: 396 times found in Unknown, 128 times found in heathlands, 128 times found in Forest, 71 times found in Anthropogenic, 45 times found in dry grassland, 35 times found in shrubs, 33 times found in Wet grassland, 31 times found in Rocks (rocky-calcareous grasslands), 21 times found in dunes & inland dunes, 2 times found in mixed woodland, ...
Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 5 times on trunk, 5 times on the ground, 2 times Nest under stone, 1 times nest in soil, 2 times foraging on ground, 1 times strays, 1 times Sobre Sambucus nigra, 1 times Sobre Alnus glutinosa, 1 times on path between trees, 1 times on car, 1 times Nido en base arbol cerca río, ...
Collected most commonly using these methods: 380 times Pitfall trap, 251 times Manual catch, 24 times search, 10 times Malaise trap, 9 times Hand, 8 times sifting of soil samples, 5 times Window trap, 5 times beating, 5 times Color trap, 3 times Yellow color trap, 3 times Pyramid trap, ...
Elevations: collected from 35 - 1750 meters, 659 meters average.”

On AntWiki:

“This species exhibits temporary social parasitism. Queens found new colonies by infiltrating an established nest of a different ant species, killing the queen and having the host workers care for her initial brood. Hosts include Lasius alienus, Lasius brunneus, Lasius mixtus, Lasius niger, Lasius rabaudi and Lasius umbratus. Lasius fuliginosus form large carton nests commonly in cavities at the base of old trees (oak, birch, willow, pine).”
And “Distribution.
Portugal to Japan and North India, South Italy to Finland (Collingwood 1979).
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists.
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (type locality), Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
And more “Biology.
This distinctive species is easily recognised by its shining black colour and broad head. Carton nests are constructed at the base of old trees, hedgerows and sometimes in sand dunes and in old walls. Colonies are populous, often polycalic with more than one focal nest and several queens. Workers forage above ground in narrow files throughout the day and night during warm weather, ascending trees and shrubs to tend aphids. The mandibles are relatively weak but small insects may be taken as food. Other competing ant species are repelled by aromatic anal secretions. Fertilised queens may be retained in the old nest or found fresh colonies through adoption by the members of the umbratus species group; mixed colonies with Lasius umbratus or Lasius mixtus have often been observed. Flight periods are irregular and have been recorded in all months from May to October. A number of local beetles occur with this species including members of the genus Zyras which exhibit protective mimicry. Waldén (1964), records an enormous nest measuring 63 x 55 x 55 cm found in a cellar near Göteborg and there are similar reports from outbuildings and cellars in England (Donisthorpe, 1927).
Wilson (1955) - Many European observers have reported independently on various aspects of the ecology of this ant, and together they present a reassuringly consistent picture. Lasius fuliginosus nests primarily in standing tree trunks and rotting stumps, and only occasionally in and around the roots of trees, under stones, and in open soil. In a random field survey in Germany, Gosswald (1932) recorded 63 nests in wood, 2 under stones, and 5 in open soil. He found the species nesting most commonly in old poplars and willows in dry meadows. It is often locally abundant; O'Rourke (1950) notes that in Ireland it may become the dominant ant in oak woods.
L. fuliginosus almost invariably constructs a carton nest. The composition of the carton has been analyzed by Stumper (1950), who finds that it consists primarily of macerated wood hardened with secretions from the mandibular glands. There may be some soil particles mixed in, especially in subterranean nests, but these constitute a very minor fraction. Stumper was unable to find supporting evidence for the old contention that several species of symbiotic fungi are normally grown in the carton walls.
L. fuliginosus forages during both the day and night, forming long, conspicuous columns which usually lead to trees infested with aphids or eoceids , the excreta of these latter insects forms a principal food source for the ant. In addition, many authors have observed workers carrying dead or crippled insects back to the nests.
Eidmann (1943) has studied overwintering in this species. A colony which he kept under observation through the autumn moved from a position in a tree bole to subterranean quarters directly beneath the tree. The winter carton nest had chambers twice the size of those in the summer nest, and its walls were conspicuously studded with grains of sand. Medium-sized and full grown larvae were found hibernating with the adults.
Winged reproductives have been taken in the nests from May to September. The nuptial flights apparently take place earlier than in other members of the genus; literature records span the period May 4 to July 27. The flights occur mostly in the afternoon, although some authors, such as Escherich and Ludwig (1906), have suggested that they occur at night also. According to Donisthorpe (1927), the mating behavior shows early signs of parasitic degeneration. There is a marked decrease in the size difference between the two sexes, and the nuptial flight appears to have been partly suppressed. In one case Donisthorpe observed nestmates copulating on vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the parent nest.
Donisthorpe (1922) has also reviewed the extensive literature on colony founding in this species. It has been proven without any doubt to be a temporary social parasite on Lasius umbratus (= Lasius mixtus), which species was defined in the old sense and may well include Lasius rabaudi also. Numerous mixed colonies have been found in nature, and successful adoptions of dealate queens by host colonies have been repeatedly obtained under artificial conditions. This habit places fuliginosus in the extraordinary position of being a social hyperparasite, since Lasius umbratus is parasitic itself on members of the subgenus Lasius. In more recent years, Stareke (1944) has obtained the experimental adoption of fuliginosus queens by colonies of rabaudi (= Lasius meridionalis), Lasius niger, and Lasius alienus.
Foraging/Diet.
See the general biology discussion above for an overview of diet and foraging. Novgorodova (2015b) investigated ant-aphid interactions of a dozen honeydew collecting ants in south-central Russia. All of the ants studied had workers that showed high fidelity to attending particular aphid colonies, i.e, individual foragers that collect honeydew tend to return to the same location, and group of aphids, every time they leave the nest. Lasius fuliginosus showed no specialization beyond this foraging site fidelity. Foragers tended Chaitophorus populeti (Panzer), Cinara laricis (Hartig) and Stomaphis quercus (Linnaeus).
Known Hosts.
Lasius fuliginosus is known to use the following species as temporary hosts:
Lasius alienus
Lasius brunneus
Lasius mixtus
Lasius niger
Lasius rabaudi
Lasius umbratus”

And on AmeisenWiki:

“Lasius fuliginosus, im Deutschen Glänzendschwarze Holzameise oder Kartonameise genannt, ist ein örtlich gehäuft vorkommender Vertreter der Schuppenameisen in Mitteleuropa. Die Art gehört zur Untergattung Dendrolasius, was auf ihre Affinität zu Holz hinweist (griech. dendron: Baum).”
And “Verbreitung und Lebensraum.
Lasius fuliginosus ist in großen Teilen Europas und Asiens meist in Holz (z. B. morschen Baumstämmen) zu finden, reine Bodennester hingegen sind seltener. Diesem Vorzug entsprechend ist die Art meistens in Laub- und Nadelwäldern und Parks, aber auch in der Nähe größerer einzelner Bäume anzutreffen.
Koloniegründung.
Eine im Juni oder Juli schwärmende Lasius fuliginosus-Jungkönigin ist bei der sozialparasitischen Gründung auf ein bereits vorhandenes Nest der Gelben Schattenameise (Lasius umbratus) angewiesen. Da Lasius umbratus bereits eine sozialparasitäre Gründung aufweist, nennt man diese Art des Parasitismus Hyperparasitismus. Weitere mögliche Wirtsarten sind Lasius sabularum, jensi x umbratus und bicornis.
Das Wirtsvolk muss bereits weisellos sein, darf also keine Königin mehr enthalten. Soweit bekannt finden sich in der Regel mehrere Jungköniginnen zusammen, um in das Nest der Wirtsameise einzudringen, sodass L. fuliginosus-Völker oft polygyn oder oligogyn sind. Nach einer erfolgreichen Übernahme beginnen die Gynen mit der Eiablage; die Nachkommen werden von den Lasius umbratus-Arbeiterinnen versorgt. Im Laufe der Zeit sterben die Wirts-Arbeiterinnen ab und das Nest wird nur noch von L. fuliginosus bewohnt.
Kolonie und Nestanlage.
Mit bis zu 2 Millionen Arbeiterinnen kann ein Nest sehr volkreich werden, zudem entwickeln sich mehrere Zweignester in denen jeweils auch eine oder mehrere Königinnen leben (Polygynie). Es werden jedoch anscheinend später keine Jungköniginnen aufgenommen, so dass ein Volk nach dem Tod der letzten Königin abstirbt.
Nester werden bevorzugt in morschem Holz angelegt, wobei dieses großzügig bearbeitet wird. Die Kartonnester der glänzendschwarzen Holzameise befinden sich nicht nur in und unter hohlen Baumstämmen, sondern auch in von Menschen geschaffenen Zaunpfählen, Schuppen oder Dachbalken. So kann L. fuliginosus zur Schadameise werden, obwohl Schäden bei modernen Gebäuden kaum auftreten.
Die Kartonnester bestehen aus verschiedenen Feststoffen wie z. B. zerkautem Holz und zu fast 50% aus Zucker. Das kartonartige Gebilde ist die Grundlage für einen mit L. fuliginosus vergesellschafteten Pilz. Dieser Pilz, Cladosporium myrmecophilum (ein deutscher Name existiert nicht), überwuchert und durchdringt mit feinen Fäden die dünnen Wände und verstärkt diese so um ein Vielfaches. Die Arbeiterkaste hat zusätzlich die Aufgabe, Teile des Pilzes an neu gebauten Nestteilen anzusiedeln damit sich dieser auch dort verbreiten kann. Auch wird der Pilz von den Ameisen daran gehindert unkontrolliert das komplette Nest zu überwuchern. Der alleinige Zweck dieser Pilzzucht ist die Stabilisation der Nestwände durch die netzartige Geflechtstruktur. L. fuliginosus ernährt sich nicht von diesem Pilz wie früher irrtümlich angenommen.
Aufgaben der Arbeiterinnen.
Alte Arbeiterinnen sammeln außerhalb des Nestes Feststoffe und transportieren diese ins Nest, ebenso wird Honigtau von Rindenläusen gesammelt. Hierbei ist besonders die Art Stomaphis quercus zu nennen, die oft in den Vertiefungen der stark zerklüfteten Eichenborke von vielen Lasius fuliginosus-Arbeiterinnen umsorgt wird. Der ins Nest eingetragene Honigtau wird weiteren Arbeiterinnen übergeben, welche die Hauptaufgabe der Brutpflege übernehmen.
Besonderheiten.
In der Nähe der Nester ist ein für den menschlichen Geruchssinn süßlicher Duft wahrnehmbar. In ihren Mandibeldrüsen produzieren die Ameisen Dendrolasin und Undekan. Diese Sekrete werden bei Störung oder Bedrohung des Nestes abgegeben. Was für den Menschen nur ein süßlicher Duft ist, ist für das Ameisenvolk eine effiziente Methode das komplette Nest in Alarmbereitschaft zu versetzen. Zudem hat dieser Geruch eine sehr starke abschreckende Wirkung auf andere Formica- und Lasius-Arten und wirkt bei diesen sogar toxisch.
Wehrsekret Dendrolasin: Waldameisen flüchten vor Lasius fuliginosus.
Das Wehrsekret der Glänzendschwarzen Holzameise ist äußerst wirksam gegenüber anderen Ameisen. Nach Eingabe von 1-2 Handvoll Lasius fuliginosus in die Kuppel eines Nestes von Formica polyctena verlassen ein Teil der Arbeiterinnen und Königinnen sofort das Nest, Arbeiterinnen tragen auch Larven und Puppen auf die Oberfläche. Der Exodus der Waldameisen hat sogar eine deutliche Temperatursenkung im Wärmezentrum der Nester zur Folge. Dies wurde im wissenschaftlichen Experiment festgestellt.”

So, here is all the important information about this special ant…

https://www.nationalgeographic…likely-rise-of-antkeeping

Darin erklärt u.a. Corrie Moreau, eine ehemalige Doktorandin von EO Wilson und heutige Professorin bei Cornell, wie ihr die Ameisenhalter-Gemeinschaft ausgeholfen hat.

Grüße, Phil

http://antcat.org/documents/58…j_hist_biol_creighton.pdf

Ant genus Strongylognathus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Bulgaria: a preliminary review.

Albena Lapeva-Gjonova, Alexander Radchenko.

https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/65742/ or https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/65742/download/pdf/

Nun haben Boudinot & Ward erkannt, dass ein paar Arten, von denen man dachte, dass es sich um Camponotus handelt, tatsächlich Colobopsis sind. Und umgekehrt wurden auch ein paar Colobopsis zu Camponotus zugeordnet! Schön, dass man hier etwas 'aufräumt', und die Bilder unten zeigen, weshalb es zu diesen früheren Fehleinschätzungen kam. Beide Autoren geben sic größte Mühe, die Unterscheidung zu erleichtern, und zeigen auch unter anderen an Männchengenitalien die klaren Unterschiede dieser zwei Linien auf.

Hier mal eine Beispielhafte Übersicht aus dem Paper:

eusozial.de/gallery/image/3997/

A: Camponotus ulcerosus

B: Colobopsis obliqua

C: Camponotus claviscapus

D: Colobopsis markli

E: Camponotus heathi
F: Colobopsis dentata

G: Camponotus helleri

H: Colobopsis schmeltzi

Schon sehr faszinierend, die homologe Evolution dieser Baumbewohner!

Zur Arbeit:

Boudinot & Ward 2021: Grappling with homoplasy: taxonomic refinements and reassignments in the ant genera Camponotus and Colobopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) https://antcat.org/references/143856

Grüße, Phil

fachlich kann ich zwar nichts beitragen. Aber dann mache ich wenigstens den Botschafter: http://www.ameisenportal.eu/vi…f=11&t=920&p=21121#p21121

Viele Grüße

https://www.quantamagazine.org…-how-to-develop-20200909/

Inhalt: Die Symbiose zwischen Ameisen des Genus Camponotus und dem Einzeller Blochmannia begann offenbar als Parasitose, bei der die Einzeller in die Keinlinie (das Gewebe das später die Eizellen und Spermien bildet) eindrang, was die Entwiclung der Ameiseneier massiv beeinträchtigte.

Als Reaktion haben Camponotus zusätzliche Keimlinien entwickelt und besitzen heute im Gegensatz zu allen anderen Ameisen 4(!) Keimlinien, wobei jede davon einen anderen Zweck erfüllt.

Die erste (ursprügliche) Keimlinie am Hinternende des Eis dient als Köder für die Blochmannia, diese werden dort eingeschlossen, in Zellen verpackt und zum entstehenden Darm transportiert, wo sie den Ameisen u.a. ermöglichen Harnstoff zu verdauen.

Die zweite Keimlinie am Vorderende (also der ursprünglichen entgegengesetzt) dient als Markierung für die Körperausrichtung, da die erste dafür nicht mehr zu gebrauchen ist.

Die dritte Keimlinie ist der Ort an dem die tatsächlichen Keimzellen entstehen und die Funktion der vierten Keimlinie ist noch ungeklärt.

Die meisten der Blochmannia werden wie oben erwähnt von der Köderkeimlinie am Hinterende abgefangen, ein paar schaffen es aber dennoch in die Keimlinie, in der die Eier und Spermien gebildet werden und werden so an die nächste Generation vererbt.

Das ist auch wichtig für die Ameisen, da die Ameiseneier offenbar "verlernt" haben bestimmte Gene selbst an- und auszuschalten, was jetzt von den Blochmannia übernommen wird.

Eliminiert man die Symbionten gehen viele der Eier ein oder entwickeln sich zu kränklichen Individuen.

https://www.hessenschau.de/pan…atische-hornisse-100.html

LG, Frank.

Interessant ist vor allem, dass die Variationen der Biomasse weder Temperatur noch Niederschlag folgen - auch scheint die intensivierte Landwirtschaft kein Haupttreiber dahinter zu sein.

Presse: https://phys.org/news/2019-11-…ce-insect-armageddon.html
Paper: s41559-019-1028-6