{{Short description|Species of ant}} {{Expand German|topic=scitech|Braune Urameise|date=September 2025}}
{{Speciesbox | image = Ponera testacea 42995319.jpg | genus = Ponera | species = testacea | authority = (Emery, 1895) }}
'''''Ponera testacea''''' is a species of ant native to Europe and some areas of the north African coast. The species was previously regarded as a variety of ''Ponera coarctata'', being raised to species status in 2003. It is 1 of 7 species of Ponera known in the Palearctic region and 1 of 3 in Europe.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Wojciech |first1=Czechowski |last2=Radchenko |first2=Alexander |date=30 September 2010 |title=Ponera testacea EMERY, 1895 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Poland |url=https://archive.org/details/pje2010a25czechowskiradchenko/page/336/mode/2up |journal=Polish Journal of Entomology |volume=79}}</ref>
== Taxonomy == ''Ponera testacea'' was designated as its own species in 2003, originally considered a variant of ''Ponera coarctata''. The two species were separated due to petiolar and habitual differences. ''P. testacea'' is more xerothermic and prefers warmer and drier habitats, whereas ''P. coarctata'' prefers more shaded areas.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Csõsz |first1=Sándor |last2=Seifert |first2=Bernhard Seifert |date=2003 |title=PONERA TESTACEA EMERY, 1895 STAT. N. – A SISTER SPECIES OF P. COARCTATA (LATREILLE, 1802) (HYMENOPTERA, FORMICIDAE) |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256123867 |journal=Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae}}</ref>
In 2006 ''Ponera coarctata var. crassisquama'' was synonymised with ''Ponera testacea'' as a senior synonym.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Scupola |first=Antonia |date=30 July 2006 |title=Ponera coarctata var. crassisquama Emery, 1916 a new synonym of P. testacea Emery, 1895 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) |url=https://archive.org/details/ants_21155 |journal=Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona}}</ref>
In 2022, ''P. coarctata var. lucida'' in Türkiye was proposed as a synonym to ''Ponera'' ''testacea''. This was due to the variant initially being taxonomized as a variant of ''P. coarctata'' due to similar colouration (which is not the normal morphometric approach) despite having more similar physical anatomy to ''P. testacea''.''<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Csősz |first1=Sándor |last2=Kiran |first2=Kadri |last3=Karaman |first3=Celal |last4=Lapeva-Gjonova |first4=Albena |date=2022-02-01 |title=A striking color variation is detected in Ponera testacea Emery, 1895 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) across its Western Palaearctic geographic range |journal=ZooKeys |language=en |issue=1084 |pages=151–164 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.1084.79415 |pmid=35233167 |pmc=8825431 |bibcode=2022ZooK.1084..151C |doi-access=free |issn=1313-2970}}</ref>''
== Description == ''P. testacea'' is very similar to ''P. coarctata'', with the primary identifying difference being the size and shape of the petiole. In ''P. testace''a the petiole is shorter and thicker when seen in profile, typically not extending above the height of the gaster and thorax. The sides of the petiole are also parallel sided, instead of slightly tapering as seen in its sister species. ''P. testcea'' is also smaller than its sister species on average, and are typically of a lighter colouration than ''P. coarctata''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Atwell |first=P. J |date=2017 |title=Ponera testacea {{!}} BWARS |url=https://bwars.com/ant/formicidae/ponerinae/ponera-testacea |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=bwars.com}}</ref>
Workers were measured at 2.5-3.0mm in length with thick decumbent hairs cover the full body. Female alates were measured at 3.0mm on average in length, sharing the thick decumbent hairs of the workers.<ref name=":2" />
== Distribution and habitat == ''P. testacea'' is distributed across most of Europe, excluding Scandinavia, the Baltics, Belarus, Ireland and Iceland. Its range extends east to the Caucus region and Southern Russia. The specie's most eastern presence is located in Turkmenistan, and its most southern records are from Tunisia and Morocco.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=antmaps.org |url=https://antmaps.org/?mode=species&species=Ponera.testacea |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=antmaps.org}}</ref>
Unlike its sister species, ''P. testacea'' prefers a more xerothermic (warmer and drier) habitat, avoiding humid and/or shaded sites which ''P. coarctata'' would prefer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Species: Ponera testacea - AntWeb |url=https://www.antweb.org/description.do?genus=ponera&species=testacea&rank=species |website=7 July 2025}}</ref>
== Biology == ''P. testacea'' is said to have similar behaviour to its sister species ''P. coarctata,'' with colonies comprising up to 40 workers, and nests consisting of simple passageways running through soil with one or two small chambers.<ref name=":0" /> thumb|''P. testacea'' next to a human thumb Its diet (similar to all ponerines) likely consists of developmental stages of ground-dwelling invertebrates. Workers are known to forage solitarily in soil, litter and moss.<ref name=":0" />
== See also ==
* List of ants of Great Britain
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Ponera_testacea ''Ponera testacea'' on AntWiki]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q900797}}
Category:Insects described in 1895 Category:Ponerinae Category:Hymenoptera of Europe Category:Taxa named by Carlo Emery