Myrmica curvithorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Czech Republic: a contribution to the knowledge of its distribution and biology

Abstrakt: The biology of the West Palearctic species Myrmica curvithorax Bondroit, 1920 is poorly known. In general, it inhabits salt marshes and xerothermous grasslands, especially patches with low, thin vegetation. The presence of M. curvithorax at three localities in the Czech Republic has been previously documented and published; specimens from another 10 localities are in the collections of P. Pech and P. Werner. Myrmica curvithorax occurs mainly in dry, sunny, human-altered grassy biotopes. Seventeen nests were found to contain on average 400 workers and 0.6 queen (maximum numbers were 1231 workers and 5 wingless queens). Myrmica curvithorax seems to be an oligogynous species, and most nests had no queen.

Klíčová slova: Biology, Czech Republic, distribution, ecology, Myrmica curvithorax