MYRMICA SCHENCKI, EMERY, AN ANT NEW TO BRITAIN. 



265 



Myrmica schencki, Emery, an ant new to Britain. 



By H. DONISTHORPE, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



Myrmica schencki, Em. ^ 



Myrmica rubra subsp. scahrinodist var. xcheticki, Emery, Zool. Jahrb. Syst., 

 8, 315 (1.S95)'. Myrmica scabrhtodis schencki, Emery, Deutsch. Ent. Zeitschr. 

 1908, 178-. Miirmica rubra subsp. scabrinodis var. schencki, Wheeler, Ants 566 

 (1910)3. Myrmica schencki, Bondroit, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 55, 11 (1911)': 56, 351 

 (191'2)\ Myrmica scabrinodis subsp. schencki, Karawajew, Rev. Russe Ent. 12 

 583 (1912)'^. Myrmica scabrinodis race schencki, Forel, Mitt. Schweiz Ent. Gesell. 

 12, 29 (1915)7. 



^ Lifihter or darker brownish-red, head and gaster darker : mandibles, 

 antennae and legs lighter. The colour is lighter and more uniform over the whole 

 body, than in lobicornis. 



Head : frontal area longitudinally striate, not shining ; temples more regularly 

 striate than in lobicornis ; antennae with scape sharply bent at the base, and 

 furnished above with a strong transverse ridge, which however is both broader and 

 longer than that of lobicornis, the scape itself also being longer; club of antennae 

 three-jointed. Thorax more regularly striate; cpinotal spines long and straight, 

 longer than in lobicornis, with the space between smooth and shining. Petiole 

 and post-petiole not so strongly rugose as in lobicornis, the former seen in profile 

 does not form such a strong or abrupt angle, and the latter seen from above is 

 rounder. Long. 4-5mm.-5mm. (4mm. -5mm. teste, Emery). 



i Head and gaster blackish-brown, scutum of mesonotuni with a black patch 

 anteriorly and tu'o others, one on each side, posteriorly, prae-scutellum, post- 

 scutellum, and metanotum black ; mandibles, antennae, rest of body and legs reddish 

 yellow. The whole colouring is liglUer than in lobicornis. 



Other characters as in ? . Wings with pterostigma and veins pale brown, 

 not as yellow as in lobicornis. Long, (jmni. 



Described from a number of ^ ^ and three $ $ from Glamorgan. 

 These ? ? agree closely with specimens I possess from Switzerland 

 and Belgium. I have not seen a British <? , but in some Swiss speci- 

 mens in my collection the scape of the antennae is abruptly bent at the 

 base, as in lobicornis, but a slight, but distinct, ridge occurs above at 

 the bend, which is not the case in lobicoDiis. 



Original description of Mi/rmica schencki, Emery [Zool. Jahrb. 

 Syst., 8, 315 (1895)J :— 



" Diese Form wurde bis jetzt mit xl/. Zo^n'corni.f Nyl. verwechselt und vermengt. 

 — Der ^ is von derselben durch liingere Dornen des Metanotums verschieden. 

 Der 1. Knoten des Stielchens ist auch oben meist weniger winklig, oder sogar etwas 

 depress und abgerundet. Die Farbe der amorikanischen Exemplars ist meistens 

 ziemlich dunkel, schmutzig braun-roth, Kopf und Hinterleib schwiirzlich. — Was 

 aber diese Form von lobicornis besonders unterscheiden liisst, sind die Fiihlcr des 

 J . Der Schait ist dick und kurz, kiirzer als bei sabuleti und selten liinger als ^ 

 der Geissel, bei den meisten, europiiischen Exemplaren etwas kiirzer, nahe der 

 Basis stumpf gekniekt." 



Habitat. 



According to Emery Mi/niiica schencki occurs in Central Europe in 

 flat and hilly country, extending eastwards to China and Manchuria'. 

 It has also been recorded from the Northern States of America'', 

 Belgium\ Russia*"', Switzerland', and occurs in Wales. 



British distribution as at present known : — Glamorgan : Sully 

 [Hallett). A colony of this ant was discovered by Mr. H. M. Hallett, 

 at Sully, in Glamorgan, on May 80th, 1915. He, however, took it to 

 be liibicornis, and knowing I had plenty of the latter from various 

 parts, he unfortunately did not send me specimens at once, when I 

 might have got it into my book. On .July 25th he visited the colony 

 again and captured several winged females, but no males were present. 

 December 15th, 1915. 



