Monomorium sagei

Rasheed et al. (2020) found nests of this species in rotten wood, dead wood, tree bark and in the soil. Foraging workers were collected in association with mostly sucking insect such as psyllids, aphids and mealy bugs, etc.

Identification
Workers of M. sagei resemble more to Monomorium minutum but can easily be separated in having twelve jointed antennae, scape extending beyond the top of head, mesosoma convex dorsally, cephalic surface having 3-4 erect hairs; pronotum with single seta; scattered, erect and sub erect hairs at gaster; tibiae smooth, without pilosity, minute pilosity at funicular segments of antennae (Bingham, 1903; Rasheed et al., 2020).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Pakistan. Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, China.

Nomenclature

 * . Monomorium sagei Forel, 1902c: 211 (w.) INDIA (Himachal Pradesh).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: India: Dharmsala (Sage).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in M. (Xeromyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 177.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1903a: 688; Bingham, 1903: 208; Forel, 1906b: 88; Emery, 1922e: 177; Mukerjee & Ribeiro, 1925: 207; Menozzi, 1939a: 302; Ettershank, 1966: 92; Pisarski, 1967: 395; Bolton, 1995b: 266; Mohanraj, et al. 2010: 6; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 46; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 40; Rasheed, et al. 2019: 433.
 * Distribution: Afghanistan, China, India (+ Andaman Is), Pakistan.

Description
Worker

Bingham (1903): Pale yellow, the sides of the abdominal segments indistinctly brownish: some specimens are entirely yellow; head, thorax (metaiTotum excepted) and abdomen smooth and shining, the metanotum finely rugulose, opaque: pilosity whitish, somewhat sparse, the scape of the antennae and the tibiae of the legs pubescent. Head strongly convex in front, the sides straight, the posterior margin widely emarginate and a little broader than the head in front; mandibles narrow; clypeus convex, its anterior margin slightly and widely arched; antennae long and thick, the scape reaching beyond the top of the head, the club of the flagellum massive; eyes placed well below the middle of the sides o£ the head. Thorax somewhat short, the pro-mesonotum gently convex; the thorax seen in profile deeply emarginate at the meso-metanotal suture: the basal portion of the metanotum rectangular, longer than broad. Pedicel: the 1st node squamiform, anteriorly petiolate ; 2nd node from above almost circular, smoothly rounded, a little broader in front than posteriorly; abdomen more than twice as long as broad, subtruncate anteriorly.

Length: 2.2 - 2.5 mm

Rasheed et al, (2020): Head. In full-face view distinctly longer than broad, feebly round at posterior margin; median clypeal portion without carinate, anterior clypeal margin smooth and feebly convex at inner margin; antennae 12- segmented with 3- segmented club (Fig. 8), scape little longer beyond the top of head; eyes smaller than M. indicum, placed at middle of the head. Mesosoma. In profile pro- mesonotum forming a single convexity, metanotal grove well defined, propodeal dorsum sloping to short declivity (Fig. 11). Petiole. Longer in length than width, rounded dorsally. Postpetiole. Node massive and more rounded dorsally than petiole (Fig. 12), attached to gaster dorsally.

Sculpture: In profile rugai at meso-metanotum(Fig. 13), weakly striated at metanotum dorsally, head, mandible, pro-mesonotum, petiole, Postpetiole and gaster smooth and shining. Pilosity: Cephalic surface having 3-4 erect hairs; pronotum with single seta; scattered, erect and sub erect hairs at gaster; tibiae smooth (Fig. 10 arrows), without pilosity, minute pilosity at funicular segments of antennae (Fig. 8). Colour: Head, mesosoma, legs, petiole and post petiole are pale yellowish in colour (Fig. 8, 13, 14) while gaster having blackish tint (Fig. 12).

Morphological Measurements (mm) & Indices (n = 5): HL 0.46-0.48; HW 0.39-0.40; EL 0.05-0.07; EW 0.06-0.07; SL 0.4-0.42; PRW 0.20-0.21; WB 0.5-0.6; PH 0.013-0.14; PL 0.1-0.2; PW 0.10-0.11| CI= 83.33-84.78; OI= 12.82-17; SI= 102.56-105; LPI= 13-70

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
 * Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
 * Forel A. 1906. Les fourmis de l'Himalaya. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 42: 79-94.
 * Menozzi C. 1939. Formiche dell'Himalaya e del Karakorum raccolte dalla Spedizione italiana comandata da S. A. R. il Duca di Spoleto (1929). Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano. 78: 285-345.
 * Mohanraj P., M. Ali, and K. Veerakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10: Article 172
 * Mohanraj, P., M. Ali and K. Veenakumari. 2010. Formicidae of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean: Bay Of Bengal). Journal of Insect Science 10:172.
 * Mukherji D., and S. Ribeiro. 1925. On a collection of ants (Formicidae) from the Andaman Islands. Records of the Indian Museum 27: 205-209.
 * Pisarski B. 1964. Fauna Mrowek Afganistanu. Bibliogr. k. 160-166, Nieoprawiony maszynopis pracy, Praca doktorska. Instytut Zoologiczny PAN, 1964, Bibliogr. p. 160-166
 * Pisarski B. 1967. Fourmis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) d'Afghanistan récoltées par M. Dr. K. Lindberg. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 24: 375-425.
 * 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.
 * 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
 * Tak N., and S. L. Kazmi. 2011. On a collection of Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae from Uttarakhand. Rec. zool. Surv. India : 111(2) : 39-49.