Ants of the Cantabrian Calluna-heathlands (NW Spain) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The heathlands dominated by Calluna vulgaris are a European habitat increasingly scarce, but interesting in terms of biodiversity. Between 2004 and 2007 samplings were carried out with pitfall traps and beating in four areas of the Cantabrian mountain range with Calluna-heathlands and in 2008 direct samplings were made. In 2004, the ants rep- resented 10.6% of the total arthropods captured in pitfall traps. For the set of all samples, 30 species of ants were found, which makes the Cantabrian heaths the most diverse for this group. The community was dominated by the species of the genera Formica (7 species), Lasius (9) and Myrmica (8). It is necessary to emphasize the presence in these heathlands of: Lasius jensi and Teleutomyrmex schneideri (both were first Iberian records); and Myrmica xavieri and Tetramorium alpestre (with little known distribution for being of recent description).