Cataglyphis mauritanica

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Tunisia.

Biology
Knaden & Wehner (2006) observed colony fission events. Workers left their nest and excavated a new nest about 30 m away from the natal nest. Four dealated queens were waiting at the natal nest entrance. After about 4 hours of digging, a worker carried a queen to the new nest, while the remaining three queens remained in the old nest. Dispersal by DCF is consistent with the brachypterous nature of queen (Peeters & Aron 2017).

Colonies have about 1500 workers (range 200-3000) (N=60 colonies) (A. Kuhn, unpublished data)

Nomenclature

 *  mauritanica. Myrmecocystus viaticus subsp. mauritanicus Emery, 1906d: 57, figs. 23, 26 (w.m.) TUNISIA. Santschi, 1929b: 31 (q.). Combination in Cataglyphis: Emery, 1912f: 98; in C. (Monocombus): Santschi, 1929b: 29. Raised to species: Agosti, 1990b: 1483. Current subspecies: nominal plus occidentalis, tonsilis.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Agosti D. 1990. Review and reclassification of Cataglyphis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 24: 1457-1505.
 * Agosti, D. 1990. Review and reclassification of Cataglyphis (Hymentopera: Formicidae) . Journal of Natural History 24:1457-1505.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Cagniant H. 2009. Le genre Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 au Maroc (Hyménoptères Formicidae). Orsis 24: 41-71.
 * Cagniant, H.. "Étude de quelques fourmis marocaines. Statistique provisoire des Formicidae du Maroc." Bulletin de la Société d' Histoire naturelle de l' Afrique du Nord 53 (1964): 83-118.
 * Cagniant, H.. Les peuplements de fourmis des forêts algériennes: écologie, biocénotique, essai biologique. Universite de Toulouse, 1973.
 * Emery C. 1906. Rassegna critica delle specie paleartiche del genere Myrmecocystus. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna (6)3: 47-61.
 * Emery C. 1908. Myrmecocystus viaticus et formes voisines. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 44: 213-217.
 * Galkowski C., C. Lebas, P. Wegnez, A. Lenoir, and R. Blatrix. 2017. Redescription of Proformica nasuta (Nylander, 1856) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) using an integrative approach. European Journal of Taxonomy 290: 1–40.
 * Santschi, F. 1929. Etude sur les Cataglyphis. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 36: 25-70.
 * Santschi, F.. "Étude sur les Cataglyphis." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 36 (1929): 25-70.
 * Wehner R., S. Wehner, and D. Agosti. 1994. Patterns of biogeographic distribution within the bicolor species group of the North African desert ant, Cataglyphis Foerster 1850 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Senckenb. Biol. 74: 163-191.