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Cataglyphis lirabiensis
| Cataglyphis lirabiensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicini |
| Genus: | Cataglyphis |
| Species group: | cursor |
| Species: | C. lirabiensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Cataglyphis lirabiensis Khalili-Moghadam, Salata & Borowiec, 2023 | |
In Lirabi, a specimen was found within an oak forest, while in Holoosad, a specimen was found in a bean and rice farm. The collecting sites were in the mountain zone, at altitudes of 1406 and 1948 m a.s.l.
Specimens of this species, along with Cataglyphis shahrekordensis, were collected from several sites in the Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province and one site in the Khoozestan Province of Iran. The sites were placed at altitudes from 20 to 2500 m a.s.l.. Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari and Khoozestan Provinces are located in the southwestern part of Iran. Shahrekord and Ben counties lie in the northern and Ardal county in the western part of the Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari Province, respectively. Ardal County (Gandomakar olia, Firooz abad, Eslam abad, Lirabi, Holoosad, Qorab and Karoon) is predominantly covered by oak forests and only small parts are transformed into agricultural sites (mostly cultivations of wheat, corn, alfalfa, barley, bean, rice and other). Contrary, most of the territory of Shahrekord and Ben counties are agricultural and grazing sites.
The dominant sampling method during the study of this species was direct sampling (hand collecting); specimens were collected foraging on the ground or directly from nests usually located under stones.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Cataglyphis lirabiensis is a member of the C. cursor species-group characterized by petiole in the shape of a thick squama and by monomorphic or with monophasic size variation of worker caste (Agosti, 1990). The group comprises in Asia six species of small to medium sized ants and head and gaster from finely shagreened, dull to mostly smooth and shiny. Cataglyphis lirabiensis differs from all species of this group in a distinctly bicoloured body with head, mesosoma and petiole yellow and gaster dark brown to black, while other taxa have body predominantly brown to black, if bicoloured then head reddish to reddish brown and mesosoma and gaster dark brown to black. The poorly known Cataglyphis frigida persica appears the most similar taxon to due to the dark yellow head and mesosoma and yellowish brown gaster (bright yellow head and mesosoma and dark brown to black gaster in C. lirabiensis). It also differs in well visible and slightly longer and denser appressed pubescence on occipital part of head (short and sparse, hardly visible in C. lirabiensis). The unusual body colouration of C. lirabiensis could also associate this species with members of the C. pallida species-group. The most similar is [[Cataglyphis pallida] – the only Asian species with squamiform petiole and head, mesosoma and petiole yellow. However, C. pallida differs in completely yellow gaster and occipital part of head covered with dense and long appressed pubescence. C. lirabiensis has gaster predominantly dark brown to black and hardly visible, short, and sparse appressed pubescence on head.
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 31.95653° to 31.72942°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Khalili-Moghadam et al. (2023)
Distribution based on type material
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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- lirabiensis. Cataglyphis lirabiensis Khalili-Moghadam, et al. 2023: 8, figs. 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B (w.) IRAN.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 3 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Iran: Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari, Ardal, Lirabi, 1948 m., 15.ix.2021 (A. Khalili-Moghadam); paratypes: 3 workers Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari, Ardal, Holoosad, 1406 m., 10.x.2021 (A. Khalili-Moghadam).
- Type-depositories: MNHW (holotype); EPAS, MNHW (paratypes).
- Distribution: Iran.
Type Material
- Holotype: Worker: IRAN, Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari, Ardal, Lirabi 1948 m (31.95653N, 50.48747°E), 15.ix.2021, leg. A. Khalili-Moghadam (MNHW).
- Paratypes: 3 workers (one of them partly damaged: right antenna missing, left antenna only scapus and basal three funicle segments, right foreleg missing): IRAN, Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari, Ardal, Holoosad, 1406 m (31.72942°N, 50.54444°E), 10.x.2021, leg. A. Khalili-Moghadam (MNHW, EPAS).