Cardiocondyla melana

Workers were collected from the soil in an isolated date farm (Saudi Arabia).

Identification
Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla shuckardi group. Cardiocondyla melana differs from the closely related SE African Cardiocondyla shuckardi by non-overlapping CL/CW data and a much more slender postpetiole.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, Yemen.

Nomenclature

 *  melana. Cardiocondyla melana Seifert, 2003a: 259, fig. 41 (w.) YEMEN.

Worker
Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.250. Anteromedian clypeal margin and median occipital margin straight or slightly concave. Postocular distance very large, PoOc/CL 0.462. Scape of medium length, SL/CS 0.816. Eye small, EYE 0.221. Lateral area of clypeus with few longitudinal curved carinulae and semierect pubescence. Frontal carinae immediately caudal of FRS level parallel. Sculpture on dorsal area of head variable in strength, but overall impression of vertex even in specimens with stronger sculpture still shining. Frontal laminae and vertex caudally of them strongly to weakly longitudinally carinulate. Foveolae on lateral vertex always flat and, in more strongly-sculptured specimens, embedded within longitudinal rugulae. Promesonotum and waist smooth and shining, with fragmentaric rugulae. Dorsal area of propodeum shining but rugulose-microreticulate. Meso- and metapleuron and propodeum laterally reticulate. Petiole node slightly wider than long. Ventral postpetiole with 2 very shallow paramedian, longitudinal carinae or elongated bulbs, in dorsal view with straight anterior margin and convex sides. Metanotal depression with shallow slopes and less deep than in Cardiocondyla fajumensis. Spines reduced to blunt angles. Whole body dark to blackish brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker and 1 paratype worker, labelled “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991”; further 9 paratype workers labelled “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991.09.21”, “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991.10”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991.06”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991.09”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1993”, “YEMEN: Wadi Surdad 1993”, “YEMEN: Hasta 1992.10” (all stored in ).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Seifert B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 104: 203-338.