Plagiolepis pallescens Forel, 1889
Synonyms
Plagiolepis taurica
Plagiolepis vindobonensis
Description and notes
The pale to dark brown workers and brownish black males are very small (1-2mm and 1.5mm-2mm long, respectively). Queens are relatively large at 3-4mm long (Collingwood 1979).
Distribution
Plagiolepis pallescens occurs in the Channel Islands, but is absent from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Elsewhere, it occurs in central and eastern Europe, its range extending south into Italy and Greece.
Status (in Britain only)
The Channel Islands are not included in assessments of conservation status either in Shirt (1987) or by Falk (1991).
Habitat
Plagiolepis pallescens may be found in warm, dry, open areas where it nests under stones and in rock crevices. In the Channel Islands it colonises coastal cliffs.
Flight period
Nests contain winged sexuals between June and August (Seifert 1996). Nesting biology and foraging behaviour Colonies usually have several queens. Workers tend homopterans for honeydew and forage for nectar. They follow trails to permanent food sources (Seifert 1996).
Year profile last updated
2021