Monomorium noualhieri

M. noualhieri was collected in a nest of M. salomonis in Algeria. The inquiline species Monomorium santschii also uses salomonis as a host species. Is there a possibility that noualhieri represents a throwback, an accidentally produced worker of santschii in a species otherwise known to have lost its worker caste? At present I consider the possibility to be extremely remote and suspect that santschii is permanently a workerless inquiline and that noualhieri is truly an isolated species, representing the somewhat degenerate worker caste of an otherwise unknown socially parasitic female. (Bolton 1987)

Identification
A member of the salomonis-group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Algeria.

Nomenclature

 *  noualhieri. Phacota noualhieri Emery, 1895b: 67, fig. 1 (w.) ALGERIA. Combination in Paraphacota: Santschi, 1919d: 92; Santschi, 1927d: 245; in Monomorium: Ettershank, 1966: 91. See also: Emery, 1908f: 555; Bolton, 1987: 282.

Worker
Bolton (1987) - Holotype. TL 3.3, HL 0.84, HW 0.62, CI 74, SL 0.70, SI 113, PW 0.42, AL 0.98.

Mandibles with narrow blades, the masticatory margin with 4 sharp teeth. Apical tooth acute, narrow and disproportionately long, well over twice the length of the second tooth. Mandibles unsculptured and smooth. Palp formula 1,2, the single maxillary palp segment short clavate, almost bulbous. Antennal segmentation almost obliterated by partial fusion of the funicular segments, the limits of individual segments difficult to discern. Antennae with 12 segments, the apical club of 3 segments (not 11 and 2 as in the original description). The two apical club segments are flattened from side to side, the apical more so than the preapical, and almost fused together so that their junction is difficult to see. The apical club segment is slightly concave on its inner surface and convex on its outer. This may be artifact of preservation but both antennae are alike. Anterior clypeal margin with the median portion broadly evenly convex. Median portion of clypeus broadly convex across, without carinae. Frontal lobes very small and the posterior margin of the clypeus between them with the suture obliterated. Eyes fractionally behind the midlength of the sides, their maximum diameter about 0.22 x HW. Promesonotum evenly long-convex, the metanotal groove shallowly impressed. Propodeum on a lower level than the promesonotum and evenly shallowly convex, with the dorsum rounding broadly into the declivity. Petiole node in profile subglobular, with an extremely short thick peduncle; subsessile in appearance. In dorsal view the petiole node slightly broader than long, not sharply differentiated from its anterior peduncle and the latter scarcely narrower than the node. Postpetiole by contrast very reduced, occupying less than half the volume of the petiole and longer than broad. Dorsal surfaces of entire head and body lacking standing hairs. Entire ant glossy brown, smooth and shining, unsculptured except for faint superficial vestiges in places.

Type Material
Bolton (1987) - Holotype worker, Algeria: Biskra (Noualhier) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Barech G., M. Khaldi, X. Espadaler, and H. Cagniant. 2017. The genus Monomorium Mayr, 1855 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Maghreb (North Africa): Identification key, redescription of Monomorium major Bernard, 1953 and new records from Algeria. Boletin de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 61: 151-157.
 * Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.