Ants are highly diverse in the Iberian Peninsula (IP), both in species richness (299 cited species) and in number of endemic species (72). The Iberian ant fauna is one of the richest in the broader Mediterranean region, it is similar to the Balkan Peninsula but lower than Greece or Israel, when species richness is controlled by the surface area. In this first general study on the biogeography of Iberian ants, we propose seven chorological categories for grouping thems. Moreover, we also propose eight biogeographic refugium areas, based on the criteria of “refugia-within-refugium” in the IP. We analysed species richness, occurrence and endemism in all these refugium areas, which we found to be significantly different as far as ant similarity was concerned. Finally, we collected published evidence of biological traits, molecular phylogenies, fossil deposits and geological processes to be able to infer the most probable centre of origin and dispersal routes followed for the most noteworthy ants in the IP. As a result, we have divided the Iberian myrmecofauna into four biogeographical groups: relict, Asian-IP disjunct, Baetic-Rifan and Alpine. To sum up, our results support biogeography as being a significant factor for determining the current structure of ant communities, especially in the very complex and heterogenous IP. Moreover, the taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns we describe in this study highlight the utility of Iberian ants for understanding the complex evolutionary history and biogeography of the Iberian Peninsula.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/2/88/pdf

El género Amblyopone Erichson en la Península Ibérica (Hymenoptera, Fromicidae)

Biogeography of Iberian Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Typhlocharis silvanoides Dieck, 1869 es la especie tipo del genero y hasta ahora solo era conocida de Marruecos. Nuevas capturas de esta especie en la provincia de Cadiz (Espana) y el estudio del material antiguo de varios museos, han permitido formalizar una serie tipica, inexistente hasta la fecha; ampliar la informacion morfologica de la especie con la descripcion de la genitalia femenina y la variabilidad de las poblaciones estudiadas, comentar sus relaciones con otras especies del genero y establecer la vicarianza de la especie en el Estrecho de Gibraltar, circunstancia que comparte con Typhlocharis armata Coiffait, 1969 a la que se dedico la primera parte de este estudio.

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https://graellsia.revistas.csic.es/index.php/graellsia/article/download/418/421

Typhlocharis vicariantes del Estrecho de Gibraltar. II: T. silvanoides Dieck, 1869 (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Trechidae)

Resumen: Se citan las especies de hormigas hipogeas Amblyopone impressifrons por primera vez para la Peninsula Iberica y Proceratium melinum para Cataluna. Palabras clave: Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Amblyoponinae, Amblyopone impressifrons, Proceratium melinum, Cataluna, Peninsula Iberica. First record of Amblyopone impressifrons (Emery, 1869) from the Iberian Peninsula and of Proceratium melinum (Roger, 1860) from Catalonia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

/pdf/primera-cita-de-amblyopone-impressifrons-emery-1869-para-la-1ttjc8opek.pdf

Primera cita de Amblyopone impressifrons (Emery, 1869) para la Península Ibérica y de proceratium (Roger, 1860) para Cataluna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

/pdf/el-genero-amblyopone-erichson-en-la-peninsula-iberica-1at3lf2p3m.pdf

El género Amblyopone Erichson en la Península Ibérica (Hymenoptera, Fromicidae)

Citations

Biogeography of Iberian Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Typhlocharis vicariantes del Estrecho de Gibraltar. II: T. silvanoides Dieck, 1869 (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Trechidae)

Primera cita de Amblyopone impressifrons (Emery, 1869) para la Península Ibérica y de proceratium (Roger, 1860) para Cataluna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)