Tetramopria cincticollis Wasmann, 1899

Staverløkk, Arnstein & Ødegaard, Frode, 2021, Two species of ant symbionts in colonies of Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758) new to Norway, Norwegian Journal of Entomology 68, pp. 260-267 : 262

Tetramopria cincticollis Wasmann, 1899

Four females and one male were found in colonies of Tetramorium caespitum , all established under rocks. Unlike the ants when exposed, T. cincticollis were moving slowly in the cavities and small passages among the ants. All the specimens found in spring were fully winged, while the female found in September had the wings torn off.

Records: Norway, TELEMARK [ TEI], Seljord: Heggenes ( Figure 1 ), N59.44181, E8.78982, 130 m asl., 19 May 2021, 2♀ ( Figure 2 ), leg . AS, 1♀ 1♂ ( Figure 3), leg. FØ. AUST-AGDER [ AAY] Risør: Søndeled; Regårdsheia , N58.75071, E9.10607, 130 m asl., 22 September 2021, 1♀, leg . AS.

Biology. The biology of T. cincticollis is poorly known, but the species shows a number of features correlated with myrmecophile habits in diapriids which includes reduced eye size, reduced pigmentation, additional setation, and dealation by the host ant ( Notton 1994). The other European congeneric species, T. aurocincta Wasmann, 1899 has been reared from the puparia of tachinid flies parasitic on lepidopterans ( Szelènyi 1957, Huggert & Masner 1983).

A

Distribution. T. cincticollis is known from Britain, The Netherlands and Sweden ( Johnson 2021, pers. comm. Peter Nilsson).

Figures

FIGURE 1. The collection site for Tetramopria cincticollis Wasmann, 1899 at Heggenes in Seljord municipality, 19 May 2021.

FIGURE 2A–B. Females of Tetramopria cincticollis Wasmann, 1899 from Heggenes in Seljord municipality, 19 May 2021.