Monomorium abeillei

This is a wide-ranging Middle Eastern species found throughout Arabia from coastal lowlands to high mountains (Collingwood and Agosti 1996). Heatwole (1990) found Monomorium ants to be the commonest component of the desert ant fauna in the United Arab Emirates sand dunes. This species (under the name M. wahibiense) was the most numerous and is clearly a true desert-adapted species (Collingwood and Agosti 1996).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Oman.

Nomenclature

 *  abeillei. Monomorium abeillei André, in Emery, 1881b: 531 (footnote) (w.) ISRAEL. [Also described as new by André, 1881b: 67.] Combination in M. (Xeromyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 177. Subspecies of salomonis: Forel, 1910a: 23; Hamann & Klemm, 1967: 413. Revived status as species: Collingwood, 1985: 269; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 340.
 * wahibiense. Monomorium wahibiense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 357 (w.) OMAN.
 * Junior synonym of abeillei: Sharaf et al., 2021: 12.

Type Material
Monomorium wahibiense: Holotype: worker, Oman, Wahiba Sands, 6.VIII.1986, M.D. Gallagher. - Paratypes: Oman: workers, same series as holotype. - United Arab Emirates: workers, Djebel Haffete, 3-4.X.1984, H. Heatwole; workers, Ras Ghanada, IX.1992, B. Tigar.

Description
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - TL 2.40-2.75; CI 78-91; SI 90-104; EL/HW 0.24-0.29.

Anterior margin of clypeus slightly concave. Eyes moderately large, about one quarter HW with 9-10 ommatidia in the longest row. Head almost straight-sided, occiput weakly emarginate in dorsal view with rounded corners. In profile the alitrunk has the promesonotal dorsum meeting the flat propodeum at an oblique angle. The propodeum has a characteristic well-defined, longitudinal V-shaped furrow bordered by a distinct raised edge at each side. The petiole in profile is a high rounded triangle, in dorsal view mildly transverse but not wider than the postpetiole. The pronotum has one pair of hairs, the petiole one pair and the postpetiole two pairs. There are a few scattered hairs on the first gastral tergite. The head, pronotum and nodes have superficial reticulate sculpture; the mesopropodeum and the sides of the head are coarsely punctate. The gaster is brilliant with very superficial sculpture. The body colour is evenly brownish black to black with reddish articulations, pale funiculi, tarsi and mandibles.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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