Temnothorax saxonicus (Seifert, 1995) stat.n., comb.n. – a parapatric, closely-related species of T. sordidulus (Müller, 1923) comb.n. and description of two new closely-related species, T. schoedli sp.n. and T. artvinense sp.n., from Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Morphological and chorological evidence is presented that Temnothorax saxonicus (SEIFERT, 1995) stat.n., comb.n. should be considered as parapatric closely-related species of T. sordidulus (MULLER, 1923), comb.n. Two new species, T. schoedli sp.n. and T. artvinense sp.n., are described from southeastern and northeastern Turkey. Including T. melas (ESPADALER, PLATEAUX & CASEVITZ-WEULERSSE, 1984), the T. sordidulus group comprises now a minimum of five species in Europe and Asia Minor. The morphological investigation system included 18 standardized numeric characters which were subject to a discriminant analysis. Leptothorax sordidulus var. tergestina FINZI, 1928 and Leptothorax carinthiacus BERNARD, 1957 are shown to represent younger synonyms of Temnothorax sordidulus.