Key to Cataglyphis species of Asia

This key to Cataglyphis species is based on Radchenko (1998) (couplets 1-33) with additions by Khalili-Moghadam et al. (2021) (couplets 33-42) and Khalili-Moghadam et al. (2024) (couplets 36-36a).

1

3rd maxillary palpomere flattened, with very long, more than 2 times as long as maximum palpomere width, erect hairs (Fig. 1a). => 2

3rd maxillary palpomere not flattened, with shorter erect hairs more than 1.5 times as long as maximum palpomere width (Fig. 3g, 3i). => 3

2

Soldier caste present; in soldiers, mandibles long, saber-shaped, with inner margin bearing no dentides (Fig. 1b). Entire body with very dense, long, silky, appressed pubescence. Head and thorax in workers ochre-colored, in soldiers orangered; abdomen in soldiers brown.—N Africa, Israel => Cataglyphis bombycina

Soldier caste absent. Appressed pubescence considerably sparser and shorter. Body uniformly yellow or orange-yellow, abdomen in large workers sometimes pale brown.—lsrael, Sinai, and Arabia => Cataglyphis sabulosa

3

Petiole with squamula (Fig. 1d, 1f lg); abdomen shining, with smooth or finely sculptured surface. => 4

Petiole cuneiform, conical, or node-shaped (Figs. 1n; 2a, 2b, 2d, 2h, 2i; 3a, 3c, 3e, 3f, 3k, 31). If petiole with more or less distinct thick squamula, then abdomen dull, densely sculptured. => 9

Fig. 2	Fig. 3

4

Body uniformly pale yellow.—Deserts of Dagestan, N Caspian Area, Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, and Afghanistan => Cataglyphis pallida
Head and thorax black to red-brown; abdomen dark brown to black. => 5

5

Clypeal setae longer than clypeus, attached at some distance from its anterior margin (Fig. 1c). Squamula of petiole thin in lateral view (Fig. 1d). Workers small (3.5-5 mm), with weak polymorphism.—Deserts of Middle Asia, Kazakhstan, and Iran => Cataglyphis emeryi
Clypeal setae shorter than clypeus, attached at its anterior margin (Fig. 1e). Squamula of petiole thicker (Figs. 1f, lg). Workers larger (3.5-8 mm), polymorphic. => 6

6

Head distinctly shagreened, dull (at least in larger workers). => 7
Head (at least in posterior half) smooth, shining. => 8

7

Squamula of petiole thick and low (Fig. 1g). Abdominal tergites with very sparse appressed pubescence, distance between hairs clearly exceeding their length.—Karakorum => Cataglyphis cugiai
Squamula of petiole thinner and higher (Fig. 1j). Abdominal tergites with denser appressed pubescence: distance between hairs 0.7-1 times length of hairs.—Westwards as far as Italy; eastwards as far as Tuva, Mongolia, and N China; and northwards as far as Czechia, Kiev, Kursk, Samara; also in Turkey, Caucasus, Middle and Central Asia => Cataglyphis aenescens

8

3rd maxillary palpomere rather short, 0.7 times as long as maximum eye diameter. Squamula of petiole comparatively thin.—Deserts of Middle Asia => Cataglyphis takyrica
3rd maxillary palpomere as long as, or longer than maximum eye diameter. Squamula of petiole comparatively thick.—Syria => Cataglyphis frigida

9

Abdomen dull, densely sculptured. Large: 5-13 mm. => 10
Surface of abdomen smooth or very finely sculptured, shining. Smaller: 3.5-8 mm. => 26

10

Petiole node-shaped, more or less rounded in dorsal view (Figs. 1a, 2a, 2b, 2d). => 11

Fig. 1	Fig. 2

Petiole wide-cuneiform or conical (Figs. 2h, 2i; 3a); if petiole slightly node-shaped (Fig. 3c), then eyes large, as long as, or 0.8-1 times as long as genae, and body uniformly black or blackbrown. => 33

Fig. 2	Fig. 3

11

Body yellow, only abdomen sometimes brownish.—Turkey => Cataglyphis lunatica
Body of different color. => 12

12

Outer surface of tibiae bears coarse, black or dark brown, semi-erect setae (Fig. 1h). => 13
Outer surface of tibiae without setae, with or without fine whitish erect hairs (Fig. 1i) => 16

13

Body uniformly dark brown to black, only head sometimes with slight red tint.—lran => Cataglyphis bellicosa
Head and thorax of different tints of red; abdomen black-brown to black. => 14

14

Body with rather fine, whitish, erect hairs.—Dagestan, Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, E Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India => Cataglyphis setipes
Erect hairs on body coarse, thick, black or brown. => 15

15

Males: subgenital plate with medial incision and short lateral processes (Fig. 1j).—w Iran => Cataglyphis nigripes
Males: subgenital plate without medial incision, with long lateral and median processes (Fig. 1k).—Middle Asia, S Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan => Cataglyphis bergiana

16

lst flagellomere short; as long as, or only slightly longer than 2nd (Fig. 1l). Body uniformly black.—Egypt, Middle East, and Arabia => Cataglyphis isis
1st flagellomere long, distinctly longer than 2nd (Fig. 1m). => 17

17

Body uniformly black-brown to black.—Middie East, Arabia, and Iran => Cataglyphis nigra
Head and thorax of different tints of red; abdomen black-brown or black. => 18

18

Entire body (including tibiae and scapus) with numerous fine erect hairs (Fig. 1n).—Armenia => Cataglyphis machmal

Body with scarce erect hairs; tibiae and scapus without such hairs (Fig. 2a, 2b). => 19

19

Mesonotum not raised above pronotum; propodeum broadly rounded (Fig. 2a).—Hungary, Rumania, Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, Transcaucasia, Dagestan, Iran, Iraq, and Kopet Dagh => Cataglyphis nodus
Mesonotum distinctly raised above pronotum; propodeurn narrowly rounded, more or less angular (Fig. 2b). => 20

20

Node of petiole rather short; higher than long in lateral view, rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 2b, 2c).—India => Cataglyphis indica
Node of petiole rather long; about as high as long in lateral view, oval in dorsal view (Fig. 2b, 2c).—N Africa, Middle East => Cataglyphis oasium

26

Body uniformly yellow or orange-yellow; abdomen sometimes partly brownish.
- —Bulgaria, Egypt, Middle East, Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and S Transcaucasia => Cataglyphis livida
- —Middle East => Cataglyphis viaticoides
Body of different coloration. => 27

27

Thorax and head orange-red; abdomen black. => 28
Body uniformly brown to black. => 29

28

Petiole low; in lateral view node longer than high (Fig. 3e). Occipital margin of head bears 6-10 straight, erect hairs.—N Africa, Middle East, Asia Minor, Arabia, S Transcaucasia, and Iran => Cataglyphis rubra
Petiole rather high, cuneiform; in lateral view, node higher than long (Fig. 3f). Occipital margin of head without erect hairs.—S Transcaucasia, Iran => Cataglyphis cuneinodis

29

Maxillary palps short; 6th palpomere nearly as long as 5th (Fig. 3g). 2nd flagellomere distinctly shorter than 3rd and 2-2.3 times as long as wide (Fig. 3h). => 30
Maxillary palps long; 6th palpomere 0.6-0.7 times as long as 5th (Fig. 3i). 2nd flagellomere as long as 3rd and 3 times as long as wide (Fig. 3j). => 31

30

Head and large part of thorax completely smooth, strongly shining. Node of petiole longer than high (in lateral view).—Kopet Dagh => Cataglyphis elegantissima
Body with fine but distinct superficial sculpture, weakly shining. Node of petiole as high as, or higher than long (in lateral view).—Middle Asia, S Kazakhstan, Afghanistan => Cataglyphis cinnamomea

31

Head and thorax more coarsely sculptured, semi-dull.—N Africa, Lebanon, Arabia => Cataglyphis semitonsa
Head and thorax with smoothed sculpture; integument at least weakly shining. => 32

32

Petiole low, broadly rounded or slightly flattened at apex (Fig. 3k).—Spain, N Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Middle East, Arabia, Transcaucasia, Afghanistan => Cataglyphis albicans
Petiole high, narrowly rounded at apex (Fig. 3l).—Iraq => Cataglyphis alibabae

33

Petiole wide-cuneiform or conical; if petiole slightly node-shaped, then eyes large, as long as, or 0.8× as long as genae, and body uniformly black or black-brown => 34
Petiole node-shaped, eyes small less than 0.8× as long as genae, and body never uniformly black to black-brown => 10

34

Surface of femora and tibiae covered with black, thick, and decumbent setae => 35
Surface of femora and tibiae not covered with a black, thick, and decumbent setae => 39

35

Soldier caste present, soldiers have saber-shaped mandibles with blunt denticles along their inner margin. Head and mesosoma yellowish red, gaster red-brown to dark brown, posterior margin of head with black, erect setae (Figs 33, 34). Turkey, Iraq => Cataglyphis kurdistanica

Soldier caste absent. Head, mesosoma and gaster brown to black, if red- brown then posterior margin of head without black, erect setae (Figs 1, 2, 9, 10, 15–18, 22, 24) => 36

36

Mesonotum in major workers distinctly bicolored, head, mesosoma and petiole reddish, petiole in major workers conical, in minor workers conical to cylindrical => 36a
Mesonotum in both major and minor workers uniformly brown to black, petiole in major workers trapezoidal or knob-shaped, in minor workers in the form of a thick squama => 37

36a

Petiole in profile stout and triangular (fig. 4 in Khalili-Moghadam et al., 2021), dorsal mesosoma often without erected setae or with only 1-2 black setae on propodeum; in minor workers entire body mostly brown with only small reddish patches (figs. 7, 8 in Khalili-Moghadam et al., 2021) => Cataglyphis bazoftensis

Petiole in profile slim and rounded (Figures 4A, 4B); promesosoma usually with at least a pair of long, black erect setae and propodeum with up to five long, black erect setae. Minor workers with head and mesosoma predominantly red with indistinct brown patches of diffused borders on sides of head and mesosoma => Cataglyphis shahrekordensis

Khalili-Moghadam et al. (2023), Figure 4. Cataglyphis shahrekordensis. A, B: major worker, shape variation of petiole. C: minor worker, petiole. D: major worker, hind tibia (not in scale).

37

Both dorsal and ventral surfaces of femora and tibiae with a row of long, black, and spiniform setae, mesosoma with thick and black setae (Figs 27, 28) Saudi Arabia => Cataglyphis asiriensis

Only ventral surfaces of femora and tibiae with row of long, black, and spiniform setae, mesosoma with fewer and thinner setae (Figs 9, 15, 17, 24) => 38

38

Gaster dull (Figs 9, 15). Petiole in major worker trapezoidal in profile (Fig. 12). Iran => Cataglyphis fritillariae

At least sides of gastral tergite I with relatively shiny area (Figs 17, 24). Petiole in major worker knob-shaped in profile (Fig. 20). Iran => Cataglyphis dejdaranensis

39

Mesosoma and posterior margin of head with numerous erect setae (Figs 29, 30) => 40
Mesosoma and posterior margin of head without or with sparse erect hairs (Figs 31, 32). Body black or black-brown => 41

40

Propodeal dorsum distinctly longer than its declivity in profile. Petiole high, narrow-cuneiform, with weakly convex anterior surface, about as high as propodeum. Head and mesosoma red to red-brown (posterior half of thorax sometimes dark brown); gaster dark brown to black. Mountains of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; Afghanistan and N Iran => Cataglyphis bucharica
Propodeal dorsum as long as its declivity in profile. Petiole cuneiform, with strongly convex anterior surface, clearly lower than propodeum. Body uniformly dark brown to black. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan => Cataglyphis piligera

41

Eyes small, 0.6–0.5× length of genae. Middle East => Cataglyphis altisquamis
Eyes large, 0.8–1× as long as genae => 42

42

Petiole low, nearly node-shaped, posterior margin of head strongly convex, rounded. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan => Cataglyphis oxiana
Petiole comparatively higher, broad- cuneiform. In large workers, posterior margin of head straight or slightly concave. Turkmenistan, Iran => Cataglyphis foreli

References