Ants of the Monomorium monomorium species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species from southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

We revise the taxonomy of the myrmicine ants of the Monomorium monomorium species-group for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are recognized: Monomorium aeyade Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, M. clavicorne André, 1881, M. exiguum Forel, 1894, M. holothir Bolton, 1987, M. mohammedi sp. n., and M. sarawatense Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013. On the basis of the worker caste, we describe Monomorium mohammedi sp. n. from the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We designate a neotype for Monomorium aeyade Collingwood & Agosti and redescribe and illustrate the worker caste. Furthermore, we provide a worker-based species identification key, distribution maps for the treated species, and ecological and biological notes, if available. Monomorium holothir is recorded for the first time from the KSA. Also, we propose M. clavicorne var. punica Santschi, 1915a as a junior synonym of M. clavicorne, as well as M. dryhimi Aldawood & Sharaf, 2011 and M. montanum Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 to be treated as junior synonyms of Monomorium exiguum.

Review of the ant genusMeranoplusSmith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new speciesM. mosalahisp. n. from Oman

“…Based on Sharaf, Al Dhafer & Aldawood (2014) and the available recent data, M. pulcher is endemic to this mountain range. This hypothesis is supported by the documented remarkable regional degree of endemism of other ant species (Collingwood, 1985; Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012; Sharaf, Aldawood & Elhawagryi, 2012; Sharaf, Aldawood & Taylor, 2012; Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013; Sharaf, Al Dhafer & Aldawood, 2018; Sharaf, Akbar & Aldawood, 2018; Sharaf et al, 2018).…”

Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of two new species, M. heggyi sp. n. and M. khalidi sp. n.

“…The M. monomorium species-group can be readily recognized by the following combination of characters in the worker caste ( Sharaf et al, 2018a ): monomorphic, with size variation; head longer than broad; mandibles smooth and masticatory margin armed with four teeth; antennae with 10–12 segments, terminating in a three-segmented club; median clypeal portion raised anteriorly and longitudinally bicarinate; eyes present with variable size, located in front of the midlength of the sides in full-face view, and with four or more ommatidia in the longest row; head smooth and shining; metanotal groove well-defined, with distinct cross-ribs; propodeal spiracle circular to subcircular; propodeal dorsum meeting declivity in a rounded angle; promesonotum and propodeal dorsum smooth; body pilosity variable but usually distinct; petiole, postpetiole and gastral tergites usually smooth.…”

“…All measurements are in millimeters and follow the standard measurements of Bolton (1987) and Sharaf et al (2018a) .…”

“…The majority of Monomorium species are native to the Afrotropical bioregion ( Bolton, 1987 , 2020 ; Hita Garcia, Wiesel & Fischer, 2013 ). In contrast, the Palaearctic and New World faunas are relatively species-poor ( Kempf, 1972 ; Sharaf et al, 2018a ; Fernández & Serna, 2019 ). In total, 56 species have been reported from the Arabian Peninsula ( Collingwood, 1985 ; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 ; Aldawood, Sharaf & Collingwood, 2010 ; Aldawood & Sharaf, 2011 ; Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013a , 2013b , 2013c ; Sharaf, Al Dhafer & Aldawood, 2014 ; Sharaf, Fisher & Aldawood, 2014 ; Sharaf et al, 2015 , 2017a , 2017b , 2018a , 2018b ).…”

Distribution and Trophic Associations of Ant Genus Monomorium Mayr, 1855 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) With Aphids in Pothwar Region of Pakistan

“…According to Bolton (2018) this genus is native to Afrotropical, Australasia, Indomalaya, Malagasy, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oceania and Palearctic bioregions. Forty three species belonging to genus Monomorium have been reported from Australia (Heterick, 2001;Heterick, 2003), forty species described from Saudi Arabia (Collingwood and Agosti, 1996;Sharaf et al, 2018), four species from Sri Lanka (Antweb, 2019), eight species from Afghanistan (Pisarski, 1970), nineteen species from Iran (Paknia et al, 2010) and twenty species have been reported from India (Bharti et al, 2016;Bolton, 2018). However in Pakistan, ants have been poorly studied.…”