Myrmica babiensis

Myrmica babiensis

Myrmica babiensis is a newly described social parasite from the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain, formally described in 2024. Queens reach approximately 5mm in total length, making them quite large compared to most parasitic Myrmica species. They have a distinctive light yellowish-orange coloration with darker areas on the head, clypeus, and mesosoma. The most striking feature is their extremely hairy body, denser, longer, finer, and more curved pilosity than non-parasitic Myrmica species. They have a well-developed sting. This species is only known from five locations in the Babia and Luna Natural Park at elevations between 1363-1620m, making it one of the rarest European ants. The name 'babiensis' references the Babia region and the Spanish phrase 'estar en Babia' (to be absent-minded), referring to how this species remained undetected for so long despite being right under researchers' noses ^[1][2].

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Expert
• Origin & Habitat: Montane pastures in the Babia and Luna Natural Park, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Iberian Peninsula (Spain), at 1363-1620m elevation. Found under moss covering stones in meadows on steep hillsides ^[1][2].
• Colony Type: Social parasite of Myrmica aloba. Mixed colonies have been found with M. babiensis gynes inside M. aloba nests. It remains unclear whether M. babiensis is fully workerless (like Myrmica hirsuta) or produces its own workers in some populations ^[1][2].
  • Queen: Socially parasitic
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: Approximately 5mm total length, mesosoma 1.65-1.92mm ^[1][2]
  • Worker: Unknown, may be workerless ^[1][2]
  • Colony: Unknown, likely small given parasitic lifestyle ^[1][2]
  • Growth: Unknown
  • Development: Unconfirmed, may be workerless ^[1][2] (Development timeline unconfirmed. As a potential social parasite, if workers exist they would likely develop similarly to other Myrmica species (6-10 weeks), but this is speculative.)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Keep at typical Myrmica temperatures, around 20-24°C. No specific data exists for this species, but related Myrmica from similar montane habitats suggest a preference for cooler conditions than tropical ants ^[3]
  • Humidity: Moderate to high, found in montane pastures under moss-covered stones, suggesting damp but not waterlogged conditions ^[1][2]
  • Diapause: Likely yes, Myrmica species from temperate regions typically require winter dormancy. No specific study exists for this species ^[3]
  • Nesting: As a social parasite, this species cannot found colonies independently. They require a host colony of Myrmica aloba. In captivity, this would require establishing a M. aloba colony first and introducing M. babiensis queens. Natural nests are under moss covering stones in montane meadows ^[1][2]
• Behavior: Little is known about behavior in captivity. As a social parasite, they infiltrate host colonies and likely manipulate host worker behavior. Queens have been found inside M. aloba nests in October. They possess a well-developed sting. Escape risk cannot be assessed due to lack of captive observations ^[1][2]
• Common Issues: This species is newly described and has never been kept in captivity, no established care protocols exist, Social parasite requirements make captive breeding extremely difficult, requires establishing a host M. aloba colony first, Very limited distribution and potentially endangered, ethical concerns about collection, Workerless status unconfirmed, may be impossible to maintain long-term without workers, No male specimens have been found, making captive breeding uncertain even if colonies could be established ^[1][2]

Species Discovery and Rarity

Myrmica babiensis was only formally described in 2024,making it one of the most recently discovered European ant species. The species was found in the Babia and Luna Natural Park in the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, at elevations between 1363 and 1620 meters. The name 'babiensis' is a reference to this region, but also plays on the Spanish phrase 'estar en Babia' meaning 'to be absent or distracted', a fitting name for a species that evaded detection by entomologists for so long. Only five localities are known, all in abandoned or intermittently used montane pastures. The species meets IUCN criteria for Endangered status due to its very limited range (area of occupancy under 500 km²) and small number of known locations ^[1][2].

Identification and Appearance

Queens reach approximately 5mm total length, which is similar to non-parasitic Myrmica gynes but quite large compared to most other parasitic Myrmica species. The overall coloration is light yellowish-orange, with darker areas on the frontal part of the head, clypeus, scutellum, and some areas of the scutum and mesopleura. The upper surface of the petiole and postpetiole is also darker in some specimens. The most distinctive feature is the extremely dense, long, fine, and curved pilosity (body hairs) covering all of the body, much more so than in non-parasitic Myrmica. They have a well-developed sting, which is notable for a parasitic species. The scape (antenna segment) is relatively short, continuously bent, and lacks the caudal lobe found in some related species. They can be distinguished from similar species by their larger size (mesosoma 1.65-1.92mm), lack of a collar-like ridge on the back of the head, and very wide postpetiole ^[1][2].

Host Species and Parasitic Lifestyle

Myrmica babiensis is a social parasite of Myrmica aloba. This means the queens cannot found colonies independently like most ants. Instead, they must infiltrate an established M. aloba colony and integrate themselves into the host society. In October 2011,researchers found two M. babiensis gynes inside a M. aloba nest under moss covering a stone in a meadow. A mixed colony was also found in the Sena de Luna locality, where about 100 host workers were captured alongside the parasitic queens. Interestingly, none of the collected workers showed parasitic characteristics, meaning they were host workers, not M. babiensis workers. This raises the key question of whether M. babiensis is completely workerless (like the related species Myrmica hirsuta) or whether it produces its own workers in some populations. This remains unconfirmed and is one of the most important questions about this species biology ^[1][2].

Why This Species Is Not Suitable for Most Antkeepers

There are several critical reasons why Myrmica babiensis should not be kept by hobbyists. First, this is a newly described species (2024) that has never been kept in captivity, there are no established care protocols or known successful breeding attempts. Second, as a social parasite, it requires a host colony of Myrmica aloba to survive, making captive maintenance extraordinarily complex. Third, the species has an extremely limited natural distribution and may be endangered, raising serious ethical concerns about any collection from the wild. Fourth, males have never been found, so even if colonies could be obtained, there would be no way to breed them. Finally, even if M. aloba colonies could be established in captivity, introducing a parasitic queen would likely result in the host colony rejecting or killing her. For all these reasons, this species should be left to professional researchers and conservation efforts rather than the antkeeping hobby ^[1][2].

Frequently Asked Questions

References