Cataglyphis flavobrunnea

Cataglyphis flavobrunnea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Formicini
Genus:	Cataglyphis
Species:	C. flavobrunnea
Binomial name
	Cataglyphis flavobrunnea; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 Specimen Labels

The original description notes that most specimens of this species were taken as single individuals.

Identification

Sharaf et al. (2015) - The original description of C. flavobrunnea indicated differential diagnosis of this taxon with Cataglyphis laevior of the C. bicolor-group, diehlii-complex (Agosti, 1990). However, examination of the newly designated lectotype and the remaining 11 paratypes indicates that the species are very different. Cataglyphis flavobrunnea has a uniformly brownish body and yellowish gaster whereas C. laevior has yellowish brown body and dark brown gaster. The head and mesosoma of C. flavobrunnea has dense white pubescence, whereas C. laevior lacks pubescence on the head and mesosoma. Collingwood and Agosti (1996) mentioned that head C. flavobrunnea is smooth and polished, but the head of the Lectotype is dull and is finely granulate.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 24.816667° to 12.8°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.
Palaearctic Region: Oman (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Worker. Specimen code casent0249838. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

flavobrunnea. Cataglyphis flavobrunneus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 378, fig. 41 (w.) OMAN, SAUDI ARABIA, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, YEMEN.
- Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: holotype Oman: Minitirib, 18.ii.1986 (W. Büttiker); paratypes: with same data, Oman: Qarn al-Alam, 31.v.1984 (M.D. Gallagher), Oman: Dhabdhub, 29.v.1986 (M.D. Gallagher), Oman: Sur Creek, 26.ix.1986 (M.D. Gallagher), Oman: Ras al-Hadd, 21.ii.1992 (M.D. Gallagher), Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, 19.ii.1978 (W. Büttiker), United Arab Emirates: Djebel Haffete, x.1989 (H. Heatwole), United Arab Emirates: Ras Ghanada, ix.1992 (B. Tigar), Yemen: Aden, 5.xi.1988 (H. Wranik).
- Type-depository: unknown (probably WMLC, perhaps also NARC, NCSU, NHMB, ONHM.]
- [Notes (i): the lectotype worker and 8 paralectotype workers designated by Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2015: 110, are redundant. The lectotype and paralectotypes chosen (NHMB) were from Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, 7.v.1978 (W. Büttiker), which do not come from the original type-series where the only Jeddah material mentioned is dated 19.ii.1978; (ii) Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 301, say “All type material is housed in NHMB and duplicates placed in appropriate institutes and museums of the contributing countries”; this apparently was never done.]
- Status as species: Collingwood, et al. 2011: 454; Borowiec, L. 2014: 55; Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2015: 110 (redescription).
- Distribution: Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Sharaf et al. (2015) - Major head. HW = HL (CI 100), minor the same with a shallowly convex posterior margin and nearly straight sides; first funicular segment 1.35× longer than second. Mesosoma. Metanotal spiracle distinctly raised. Petiole. Petiole in profile smoothly rounded but slightly assymetrical with the anterior more rounded and posterior near flat. Pilosity. Propodeal dorsum with two pairs of erect hairs; pronotum and mesonotum each with a single pair of erect hairs; posterior margin of head bare; gaster with sparse scattered and very short hairs; all body pubescence whitish or pale. Sculpture. Cephalic, mesosomal and petiolar surfaces finely punctate and dull, gaster smooth and shining. Colour. Head, mesosoma, petiole, coxae and femora brownish, antennae, tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown, gaster uniform dirty yellow.

TL 8.81; HL 1.92; HW 1.82 (major HL = HW = 2.31 Antweb scale); SL 2.21; FS1 0.38; FS2 0.28; PW 1.20; EL 0.53; Indices: CI 95 (Antweb image 100); EI 29; SI 121.

Type Material

Sharaf et al. (2015) - Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, 7.v.l978 (W. Buttiker) (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel), casent0249838; one paratype worker is designated here as lectotype; new designation.

The original description of C. flavobrunnea indicated differential diagnosis of this taxon with Cataglyphis laevior of the C. bicolor-group, diehlii-complex (Agosti, 1990). However, examination of the newly designated lectotype and the remaining 11 paratypes indicates that the species are very different (casent0104615). Cataglyphis flavobrunnea has a uniformly brownish body and yellowish gaster whereas C. laevior has yellowish brown body and dark brown gaster. The head and mesosoma of C. flavobrunnea has dense white pubescence, whereas C. laevior lacks pubescence on the head and mesosoma. Collingwood and Agosti (1996) mentioned that head C. flavobrunnea is smooth and polished, but the head of the Lectotype is dull and is finely granulate.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405474
Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
Monks J., S. Ross, M. Geiser, J. De Prins, M. Sharaf, N. Wyatt, S. Al Rijeibi, and A. Polaszek. 2019. A preliminary survey of the insect fauna of the Hajar Mountain Range, Oman. Journal of Natural History 53(15-16): 939-963.
Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004
Sharaf M. R., C. A. Collingwood, and A. S. Aldawood. 2015. Notes on the ant genus Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species and a key to species of the C. pallida-group. Zookeys 545: 101-107.