Cataglyphis livida

Cataglyphis livida is a common species at Rawdhat Khorim, Saudi Arabia. Populations increase in spring and peak in June. This species was found abundantly foraging on Acacia gerrardii Benth (Sharaf et al., 2013). Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on the ground and in trees in medium to low rainfall areas.

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

This species is widely distributed from Egypt to Afghanistan (Radchenko, 1997) and has been reported from all countries of the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood, 1985; Tigar and Collingwood, 1993; Collingwood and Agosti, 1996; Tigar and Osborne, 1999; Collingwood et al. 2011) (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Nomenclature

 *  livida. Myrmecocystus albicans var. lividus André, 1881b: 58 (w.) ISRAEL. Menozzi, 1933b: 84 (q.m.). Combination in Cataglyphis: Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1916: 173. Subspecies of albicans: Forel, 1902a: 156; Santschi, 1929b: 62. Raised to species: Arnol'di, 1964: 1810; Pisarski, 1965: 420. Senior synonym of bulgarica, lutea, mixtus: Radchenko, 1997c: 428.
 * mixtus. Myrmecocystus albicans var. mixtus Forel, 1895d: 229 (w.) TURKEY. Combination in Cataglyphis: Emery, 1925b: 263. Junior synonym of livida: Radchenko, 1997c: 428.
 * lutea. Cataglyphis livida subsp. lutea Pisarski, 1967: 418 (w.) IRAN. [First available use of Myrmecocystus albicans subsp. viaticoides var. lutea Emery, 1906d: 53; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of livida: Radchenko, 1997c: 428.
 * bulgarica. Cataglyphis (Cataglyphis) livida subsp. bulgarica Atanassov, 1982: 213, fig. 4 (w.q.) BULGARIA. See also: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 293. Junior synonym of livida: Radchenko, 1997c: 428.

Taxonomic Notes
Borowiec & Salata (2020): A recent genetic study on members of the Cataglyphis albicans group showed that Cataglyphis livida occurs only on coastal part of Israel. While the border zone between Israel and Jordan is occupied by [Cataglyphis arenaria]] (Eyer and Hefetz 2018). Both species are very similar morphologically and probably record from Petra by Wheeler and Mann (1916) concerns rather C. arenarius than C. livida.