Monomorium asiriense

Monomorium asiriense
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Monomorium
Species group:	salomonis
Species:	M. asiriense
Binomial name
Monomorium asiriense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Monomorium asiriense.

Identification

Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - This species was attributed to Monomorium abeillei in Collingwood (1985) but it is both paler in colour and more heavily sculptured.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.016667° to 14.704167°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia (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.

Nomenclature

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

• asiriense. Monomorium asiriense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 342, fig. 16 (w.q.m.) SAUDI ARABIA.
  • Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated), 1 paratype queen, 1 paratype male.
  • Type-locality: holotype Saudi Arabia: Bishah, 20°01’N, 42°34’E, 7.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood); paratypes: workers, queen, male Saudi Arabia: Wadi Shuqub, 7.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), Bishah, 7.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), Al-Tawlah, 7.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood), An-Naamah, 8.iv.1983 (C.A. Collingwood).
  • Type-depository: unknown (possibly in WMLC).
  • Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 115.
  • Distribution: Saudi Arabia.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 3.2; HL 0.73; HW 0.51; SL 0.51; range: CI 69-71; SI 100-102; EL/HW 0.285-0.323.

The alitrunk is rather flat but with a sharp mesopropodeal break. The petiole node is a moderately high rounded cone. The clypeus has a distinct median incision. There is one pair of hairs on the pronotum, one on the petiole and one on the postpetiole; the first gastral tergite is bare. There are a few ventral hairs on the head. The head dorsum and alitrunk are densely punctulate but the nodes and gaster are shining with superficial sculpture.

Queen

HL 0.95-0.98; HW 0.79-0.81; SL 0.75-0.77; EL 0.27. Dense striatopunctulate sculpture on the head and alitrunk but the gaster is shining.

Male

Pale and more delicately formed than that of M. abeillei, and has colourless legs and antennae.

Type Material

Holotype: worker, Saudi Arabia, Bishah, 20°01'N 42°34'E, 7.IV.1983, C.A. Collingwood. - Paratypes: Saudi Arabia: 1 male, 1 queen, workers from: Wadi Shuqub, 7.IV.1983; Bishah, 7.IV.1983; Al-Tawlah, 7.IV.1983; An-Naamah, 8.IV.1983; all C.A. Collingwood.

References

• 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. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (part 2). Fauna Saudi Arabia. 15:300-385. (page 342, fig. 16 worker, queen, male d*Sharaf, M.R., Mohamed, A.A., Boudinot, B.E., Wetterer, J.K., Hita Garcia, F., Al Dhafer, H.M., Aldawood, A.S. 2021. Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Arabian Peninsula with description of two new species, M. heggyi sp. n. and M. khalidi sp. n. PeerJ 9, e10726. (doi:10.7717/peerj.10726).

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