Monomorium jizane

In Oman this species was found in leaf litter.

Identification
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - This species differs from Monomorium hanaqe by its smaller size, brighter colour, shorter scape, smaller eyes and lower petiole.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 *  jizane. Monomorium jizane Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 348, fig. 19 (w.) SAUDI ARABIA.

Worker
Holotype: TL 2.50; HL 0.64; HW 0.47; SL 0.50; EL/HW 0.27; range: CI 72-76; SI 96-103; EL/HW 0.25-0.29.

The clypeal border is narrowly emarginate or with a small incision in a rather straight outline. The head is long, rectangular with slightly curved sides and a slightly emarginate occiput. The eyes are relatively large with 8-9 ommatidia in the longest row. The antennal scapes just fail to reach the occipital border. The alitrunk has a narrow deep mesopropodeal break; the propodeal furrow is long and distinctly margined as in Monomorium nitidiventre. The petiole is a rounded triangle in profile and narrow in dorsal view at least as long as wide. The occiput has a projecting hair near each corner. There is one pair on the pronotum, one pair on the petiole, one or two pairs on the postpetiole and six pairs on the first gastral tergite in front of the apical row. The whole body has dense punctate sculpture with only the sides of the gaster shining. The punctures on the propodeum are arranged in close transverse rows on the descending face. The head, alitrunk and nodes are medium orange red, contrasting with the uniformly black gaster.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, Saudi Arabia, Jizan, Abu Arish, 2.IV.1983, C.A. Collingwood. - Paratypes: Saudi Arabia: workers, same series as holotype; workers, Wadi ad-Dilla, Jizan, 22.IV.1975, W. Buttiker; workers, Najran, 7.IV.1983, C.A. Collingwood. - Oman: workers, Tibat Musandham, 24.IX.1984, M.D. Gallagher. - Yemen: workers from: Rissabah, 8.X.1991; Taiz, 20.X.1991; all A. van Harten.