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Monomorium sarawatense
| Monomorium sarawatense | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Monomorium |
| Species group: | monomorium |
| Species: | M. sarawatense |
| Binomial name | |
| Monomorium sarawatense Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013
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The type locality is a farm planted with Annona squamosa L. (Annonaceae), Prunus persica (L.), P. amigdalus (Mill.) (Rosaceae), Psidium guajava L. (Family: Myrtaceae), Zea mays ssp. mays L. (Family: Poaceae), in addition to banana, and mango. The new species was found nesting inside a woody fruit of Annona squamosa. No males or queens were seen. (Sharaf & Aldawood 2013)
Identification
Sharaf & Aldawood (2013) - Characterized by a combination of the following characters: eyes with five-six ommatidia in the longest row; genae faintly longitudinally striated; metanotal groove deep and broad; propodeal dorsum making a weak obtuse angle with propodeal declivity; mesosoma and waist densely reticulate-punctate; body pilosity clubbed.
Monomorium sarawatensis superficially seems to be similar to Monomorium affabile and Monomorium malatu described from Zaire. The three species share the following characters: dorsum and sides of propodeum and waist blanketed everywhere with dense reticulate-punctate sculpture; fourth (basal) tooth of mandible slightly smaller than the third, and not broadly separated; genae faintly longitudinally striated; body pilosity clubbed. However, sarawatensis can be easily separated by the uniform yellow color, whereas the color of the latter species is dark brown to blackish brown. In comparison with affabile, sarawatensis is consistently larger (TL 1.77-2.13), versus (TL 1.5) and the eyes are smaller (EL 0.17-0.22 × HW, versus EL 0.24 × HW).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 20° to 18.1961°.
| 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. |
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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
Known only from the worker caste.
Worker
      
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- sarawatense. Monomorium sarawatensis Sharaf & Aldawood, in El-Hawagry, et al. 2013: 70, figs. 5-15 (w.) SAUDI ARABIA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 26 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Saudi Arabia: Al-Baha Prov., Aqabet Al-Baha-Tihama, 20.00000°N, 41.43758°E, 1300 m., 19.iv.2012 (M.R. Sharaf); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: KSMA (holotype); BMNH, CASC, KSMA, MCZC, MHNG, NHMB, UKLK, WMLC (paratypes).
- Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 125; Sharaf, Al Dhafer, et al. 2018: 23 (redescription).
- 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
Holotype worker. TL1.98, HL 0.52, HW 0.42, SL 0.38, ML 0.56, EL 0.08, PRW 0.25, PL 0.14, PW 0.12, PPL 0.11, PPW 0.14, SI 90, CI 81. Paratypes. TL1.77-2.13, HL 0.48-0.53, HW 0.36-0.42, SL 0.30-0.39, ML 0.45- 0.56, EL 0.07-0.08, PRW 0.21-0.25, PL 0.09-0.14, PW 0.09-0.12, PPL 0.08-0.11, PPW 0.11-0.14, SI 81-95, CI 75-84. (N=12).
Holotype worker. Head distinctly longer than broad, with a nearly straight posterior margin and shallowly convex sides; head dorsum smooth and shining with few scattered hair-pits; anterior clypeal margin feebly concave between a pair of obtusely projecting angles which separate anterior and lateral margins; clypeal carinae broadly separated and subparallel; eyes with five-six ommatidia in the longest row (EL 0.17- 0.22x HW). With head in profile the posterior margins of eyes at the midlength of sides; antennal scapes, when laid back from their insertions, failing to reach posterior margin of head; genae faintly longitudinally striate. Mesosoma in lateral view with the promesonotum straight or feebly convex; metanotal groove deep and broad; propodeal dorsum making a weak obtuse angle with propodeal declivity; mesosomal pilosity few and sparse, two pairs of erect setae on pronotum, five or more on mesonotum, three on propodeum; propodeal spiracle small and pinhole-like; mesosoma densely reticulate-punctate except for pronotal sides which are nearly smooth and shining. Petiolar node high and acuminatein profile, usually with two pairs of erect setae, petiolar peduncle thick and short. Postpetiole in dorsal view clearly broader than long. Petiole and postpetiole densely reticulate-punctate. Color uniformly yellow. Body pilosity clubbed.
Type Material
Holotype worker, Aqabet Al-Baha-Tihama, Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia (20.00000°N, 41.43758°E, 1300 m.a.s.l.), 19.IV.2012 (M. R. Sharaf ), deposited in King Saud Museum of Arthropods (KSMA), College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Paratypes. 33 workers, same locality and data as holotype; 1 deposited in the Muséum ďHistoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland (Dr Bernhard Merz); 1 in Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, Switzerland (Mrs. Isabelle Zürcher-Pfander); 1 in California Academy of Science (Dr Brian Fisher); 1 in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA (Prof. E. O. Wilson); 1 in the Division of Entomology (Snow Entomological Collections), University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas, USA (Prof. Michael S. Engel); 1 in World Museum Liverpool, Liverpool, U.K (Mr. Tony Hunter), 1 in The Natural History Museum, London (Mr. Barry Bolton); the remaining paratypes are in the King Saud Museum of Arthropods, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
References
- El-Hawagry, M.S., Khalil, M.W., Sharaf, M.R., Hassan, H.F. & Aldawood, A.S. 2013. A preliminary study on the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia, with descriptions of two new species. ZooKeys 274, 1–88.
- Sharaf, M., Al Dhafer, H.M., Aldawood, A.S., Hita Garcia, F. 2018. Ants of the Monomorium monomorium species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species from southwestern Saudi Arabia. PeerJ 6:e4277, pp. 1-31 (DOI 10.7717/peerj.4277).
- 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).
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.