The identity of Leptothorax albipennis (Curtis) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and its presence in Great Britain

The karyotype and external morphology of Leptothorax (Myrafant) ants, taken from nests at nine ‘Leptothorax tuberum’ localities in England and Wales, identifies them all as L. tuberointerruptus. Their karyotype differs in chromosome number and chromosome morphology from the karyotypes of morphologically similar European Leptothorax (Myrafant) species including L. tuberum, but matches the karyotype shared by L. tuberointerruptus and L. rougeti. Worker propodeal spine length, and worker propodeal spine shape coupled with worker gaster banding characteristics, distinguish the nest samples from L. rougeti. The presence of L. tuberointerruptus in Britain is therefore confirmed, and the data demonstrate this ant's occurrence throughout the British range attributed to L. tuberum. In the absence of equivalent data identifying L. tuberum as a British species, it may reasonably be assumed that L. tuberointerruptus has been misrecorded as L. tuberum in Britain and that all British mainland records of L. tuberum refer to L. tuberointerruptus. An examination of the syntypes of Stenamma albipennis shows that S. albipennis and L. tuberointerruptus are synonymous, and that L. albipennis is the senior name. It follows that L. albipennis is a scarce British ant of ‘Notable B’ conservation status. A taxonomic synopsis for L. albipennis is given.