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.

Description
Worker

Bingham (1903): Head, thorax and pedicel ferruginous red, the legs and in many specimens the head also verging to brown; abdomen dark brown or black; head, thorax and abdomen rugulose, opaque, the head and thorax anteriorly in certain lights appearing densely and extremely finely longitudinally striate; abdomen minutely reticulate; in some specimens the 2nd and following segments are smooth, polished and shining; pilosity entirely wanting. Head broad, almost as broad as long, broader anteriorly than posteriorly, the hinder margin slightly concave; mandibles narrow, obscurely longitudinally striate, when closed partially concealed under the projecting margin of the clypeus, the latter obtusely bicarinate; antennae moderately long, the scape not quite attaining the posterior margin of the bead; eyes comparatively large and flat, placed about the middle of the side of the bead. Thorax anteriorly rounded, moderately broad, the meso- and metanotum narrow and strongly compressed, the meso-metanotal suture distinct; the thorax in profile emarginate at the suture, the basal portion of the metanotum broadening posteriorly. Pedicel: the nodes, seen from above, nearly equal, the rounded 1st node higher than the 2nd and petiolate anteriorly; abdomen oval.

Length: 2.5 - 3.5 mm

Rasheed et al. (2020): Head in full-face view distinctly longer than broad with nearly parallel sides and little broader anterior margin; median clypeal portion smooth and shining without carina, anterior clypeal margin feebly emarginated; antennae 12- segmented, terminal funicular segment large, twice longer than two preceding segments, scape short hardly crossing beyond the top of head (Fig. 4); eyes oval, small, more in length than width, placed at middle of head in oblique view. Mandibles shining and longitudinally striated. Mesosoma in profile view with a feebly convex pro-mesonotal dorsum, well developed metanotal grove (Fig. 6), propodeal spiracle small in lateral view. Petiole more in length than width, rounded posteriorly at dorsum. Postpetiole circular, attached with gaster posteriorly.

Sculpture: Head, mesosoma, petiole and post petiole strongly rugose in profile view (Fig. 1, 5). Gaster smooth and shining having erect and suberect hairs (Fig. 7). Pilosity: Cephalic surface with minute pilosity, anterior clypeal margin with short and long yellowish hairs, scape and pedicle having short pilosity. Colour: Head, antennae, mesosoma, legs, petiole and post petiole dark brownish while gaster dark brown- blackish.

Morphological Measurements (mm) & Indices (n = 5): HL 0.81- 0.82; HW 0.65- 0.66; EL 0.2- 0.22; EW 0.14- 0.15; SL 0.67-0.68; PRW 0.35- 0.36; WB 0.93- 0.95; PH 0.25-0.26; PL 0.31- 0.33; PW 0.1-0.2| CI= 80.24-80.48; OI= 30.76-33.33; SI=103.03-103.07; LPI= 78.78-80.64

Queen

Bingham (1903): Closely resembles the worker, hut larger. Head a little broader than long, plainly longitudinally striate. Thorax obscurely transversely striate, the mesonotum narrow, very gibbous anteriorly: metanotum broadening posteriorly, concave apically from side to side, the concavity more coarsely transversely striate. Pedicel: the 1st node anteriorly petiolate, cuneiform, higher, somewhat sharper above than the 2nd node, which is transverse, rounded above; abdomen long and massive, the posterior margins of the segments bright yellow. Colour entirely as in the worker; pilosity short and somewhat abundant. Wings hyaline, nervures pale yellow.

Length: 7 - 8 mm

Male

Bingham (1903): Dark brown, almost black, the apex of the mandibles, antennae and tibiae and tarsi of the legs yellowish ferruginous; entirelv rugulose, but silky and shining in certain lights. For the rest the characters of the genus.

Length: 6 - 6.5 mm

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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