Monomorium indicum

Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran in a garden and house while Rasheed et al. (2020) observed it on plant stems near water sources and found nests in trees and in the soil near water sources in the forest of mountainous areas of district Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. Foraging workers were also observed in association with sap-sucking insect including aphids and mealybugs, where they were taking honey dew as food source. This ant was found in association with the aphid Aphis gossypii on Parthenium hysterophorus (Parthenium weed) and Setaria viridis (Green Foxtail) from Kamrial and on Ak plant from Charra Pani and with Aphis fabae from district Rawalpindi. Ants and aphids were present on the shoots of host plant.

Identification
Monomorium indicum most resembles Monomorium subopacum but can easily be differentiated on the basis of comparison of head width. Head in front distinctly broader than posteriorly in M. indicum. Whereas head as broad posteriorly as in front in M. glyciphilum (Bingham, 1903; Rasheed, Bodlah et al., 2020).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: United Arab Emirates. Oriental Region: India, Pakistan. Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Iran.

Nomenclature

 * . Monomorium salomonis r. indicum Forel, 1902c: 213 (w.q.m.) INDIA (no state data).
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: India: (no further data).
 * [Note: Forel, 1903a: 688, gives no locality data, saying only “distributed through the whole of India”. Bingham, 1903: 206, records “Punjab to Madras, and Bombay to Burma. Fairly common. The commonest Monomorium in Burma”.]
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Imai, et al. 1984: 7 (k.).
 * Combination in M. (Xeromyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 178.
 * Subspecies of salomonis: Forel, 1903a: 688; Forel, 1907a: 18; Emery, 1922e: 178; Santschi, 1936a: 49; Ettershank, 1966: 89.
 * Status as species: Bingham, 1903: 205; Collingwood, 1961a: 61; Pisarski, 1967: 398; Pisarski, 1970: 309; Bolton, 1987: 292; Bolton, 1995b: 263; Collingwood, Tigar & Agosti, 1997: 508; Tiwari, 1999: 53; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 435; Borowiec, L. 2014: 120 (see note in bibliography); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 39; Rasheed, et al. 2019: 432.
 * Distribution: Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Bharti H., Y. P. Sharma, and A. Kaur. 2009. Seasonal patterns of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Punjab Shivalik. Halteres 1(1): 36-47.
 * Bhoje P. M., K. Shilpa, and T. V. Sathe. 2014. Diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, India. Uttar Pradesh J. Zool. 34(1): 23-25.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1959. Appendix G. Insecta collected by the expedition. Pp. 229-230 in: Field, H. 1959. An anthropological reconnaissance in West Pakistan, 1955, with appendixes on the archaeology and natural history of Baluchistan and Bahawalpur. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University 52:i-xii,1-332.
 * Chhotani O. B., and K. K. Ray. 1976. Fauna of Rajasthan, India, Hymenoptera. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 71: 13-49.
 * Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
 * Imai H. T., C. Baroni Urbani, M. Kubota, G. P. Sharma, M. H. Narasimhanna, B. C. Das, A. K. Sharma, A. Sharma, G. B. Deodikar, V. G. Vaidya, and M. R. Rajasekarasetty. 1984. Karyological survey of Indian ants. Japanese Journal of Genetics 59: 1-32.
 * Musthak Ali T. M. 1992. Ant Fauna of Karnataka-2. Newsletter of IUSSI Indian Chapter 6(1-2): 1-9.
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 * Pajni H. R., and R. K. Suri. 1978. First report on the Formicid fauna (Hymenoptera) of Chandigarh. Res. Bull. (Science) Punjab University 29: 5-12.
 * Parui A. K., S. Chatterjee, and P. Basu. 2015. Habitat characteristics shaping ant species assemblages in a mixed deciduous forest in Eastern India. Journal of Tropical Ecology: 1-14. doi:10.1017/S0266467415000036
 * Pashaei Rad S., B. Taylor, R. Torabi, E. Aram, G. Abolfathi, R. Afshari, F. Borjali, M. Ghatei, F. Hediary, F. Jazini, V. Heidary Kiah, Z. Mahmoudi, F. Safariyan, and M. Seiri. 2018. Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 64(2): 145-159.
 * Pisarski B. 1964. Fauna Mrowek Afganistanu. Bibliogr. k. 160-166, Nieoprawiony maszynopis pracy, Praca doktorska. Instytut Zoologiczny PAN, 1964, Bibliogr. p. 160-166
 * Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.
 * Rasheed M. T., I. Bodlah, A. G. Fareen, A. A. Wachkoo, X. Huang, and S. A. Akbar. 2019. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pakistan. Sociobiology 66(3): 426-439.
 * Sonune B. V., and R. J. Chavan. 2016. Distribution and diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) around Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary, Aurangabad Maharashtra, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 4(2): 361-364.
 * Tak N. 1995. Studies on ants (Formicidae) of Rajasthan - 1 Jodhpur. Hexapoda 7(1): 17-28.
 * Tak N. 2000. Studies on ants (Formicidae) of Rajasthan - III. Banswara. Entomon 25:97-101.
 * Tak N. 2008. Ants of Rajasthan. Conserving Biodiversity of Rajasthan Zool. Surv. India. 149-155.
 * Tak N. 2009. Ants Formicidae of Rajasthan. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 288, iv, 46 p
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 * Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 1996. Ant (Formicidae) fauna of the Thar Desert. Pp. 271-276 in: Ghosh, A. K.; Baqri, Q. H.; Prakash, I. (eds.) 1996. Faunal diversity in the Thar Desert: gaps in research. Jodhpur: Scientific Publishers, xi + 410 pp.
 * Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 2004. Insecta: Hymenoptera. Rathore, N.S. Fauna of Desert National Park Rajasthan (proposed biosphere reserve). Conservation Area Series 19,Zool. Surv. India. 1-135. Chapter pagination: 81-84.
 * Tak N., and N. S. Rathore. 2004. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. State Fauna Series 8: Fauna of Gujarat. Zool. Surv. India. Pp. 161-183.
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 * Tak, N. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and Gujarat. in C. Sivaperuman et al. (eds.), Faunal Ecology and Conservation of the Great Indian Desert
 * Tiwari R. N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4): 1-96.
 * Tiwari, R.N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4):1-96