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Allochernes solarii (Simon, 1898) is recorded for the first time from Slovakia. Six adults and two tritonymphs were found in two nests of Formica gagates Latreille, 1798. A description of the species is provided based on Slovakian specimens and the holotype from Italy.

Various morphological malformations have always attracted the attention of naturalists. One of the iconic ones is gynandromorphy, in which an individual shows both male and female traits. Although this phenomenon is considered common across the insect kingdom, the level of scientific knowledge is still poor in ants - one of the most studied groups of arthropods. In this study, we present the discovery of a worker ant [of the rare thermophilic species Temnothorax turcicus (Santschi, 1934)] from the territory of Slovakia, part of whose head bears the characteristics of a male. Observations of a live individual affected in this way were also made. Additionally, the location where this specimen was found is currently the northernmost known distribution point of this species in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ants are an important bioindicative group that plays a significant role in agroecosystems. As a result of interspecific competition for food, they can displace native species. The aim of the research was to assess the influence of environmental variables (soil pH, soil moisture, potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen) and the influence of seasons on the dispersion of ants. Between 2018 and 2020, while investigating different types of crops, we recorded 864 individuals belonging to 9 species and 2 unspecified species (sp.). The dispersion of ants was affected by moisture, soil pH, phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. In addition, an increase in value of the average number of individuals during spring and summer months was confirmed. We confirmed an increasing number of ant individuals with increasing values of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and soil moisture. A neutral pH of soil is optimal for ants. Our results yielded new information indicating that agricultural intensification negatively affects ants which are important for the production of biomass and reduces the number of pests which also affect crop yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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