Solenopsis omana

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Sharaf & Aldawood (2012) - This species is closest related to Solenopsis elhawagryi, but is quickly separated by the eyes which having seven ommatidia whereas eyes of elhawagryi with four-five ommatidia.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 * . Solenopsis omana Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 358, fig. 33 (w.) OMAN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 6 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Oman: Ruwi, 15.ii.1985 (R. Braund); paratypes: 5 workers with same data, 1 worker United Arab Emirates: Suneira, 25°12’N, 55°33’E, 15.iv.1991 (J. Gosse).
 * Type-depository: WMLC.
 * Status as species: Collingwood, et al. 2011: 443; Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011: 478 (in key); Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012: 12; Borowiec, L. 2014: 157.
 * Distribution: Oman, United Arab Emirates.

Worker
Sharaf & Aldawood (2012) - Holotype major. TL 2.0; HL 0.57; HW 0.44; SL 0.36; SI 82; CI 79-81.

Head subrectangular in dorsal view, narrow with a flat ventral surface in profile, with nearly straight posterior margin and feebly convex sides; eyes with seven ommatidia; central clypeal teeth widely spaced, short and blunt; teeth at each side very small projections. Metanotal groove deep and making an acute angle in profile; propodeal dorsum about 1.56longer than propodeal declivity. Petiolar node higher than postpetiolar node; postpetiole with an anteroventral small projecting teeth in profile; All body surfaces with long setae which appear as a fringe surrounding posterior margin of head and genae; head smooth and shining with scattered large punctures, rest of body faintly sculptured or unsculptured; color dirty yellow, head and first gastral tergite with yellow brownish tint.

Queen
Sharaf & Aldawood (2012) - TL 4.50; HL 0.75; HW 0.65; SL 0.42; EL 0.20; SI 65; CI 87; ML 1.25; PL 0.22; PW 0.25; PPL 0.20; PPW 0.27.

Dealated. Head distinctly longer than broad with concave posterior margin and convex sides; eyes large (EL 0.20), about one third of the head length, with 16 ommatidia in the longest row; anterior clypeal margin with a central pair of stout projecting teeth, and a pair of short, broad basal blunt teeth; petiole in profile pedunculate with a narrow and nearly pointed node; postpetiolar node lower than petiolar node and with a distinct small ventral tooth provided with setae; coloration brown, mandibles and legs yellowish.

A single dealated queen is in WMLC with an identification label written by C. A. Collingwood (pers. comm.) that denotes it as S. omana and has the locality information, Oman, Hayma Desert. This queen possesses the postpetiolar ventral teeth which support the hypothesis of being the queen of this ambiguous taxon. When S. omana is rediscovered and queens are collected in association with workers, then the real status of this single queen can be confirmed.

Type Material
Sharaf & Aldawood (2012) - Holotype worker, OMAN, Ruwi, 15.II.1985, (R. Braund) [examined] Paratypes: OMAN: 5 workers, same series as holotype. – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1 worker, Suneira, 25°12’N 55°33’E, 15.IY.1991, (J. Gosse) [not in, presumably lost].

The original paper (p. 301) stated all type material was deposited in the NHMB but no specimens denoted as types can be found there (Daniel Burkhardt, Isabelle Pfander & Guy Knight, pers. comm.). Additionally, no type material exists at WMLC. Finally, the holotype was found deposited in the Tel Aviv University entomological collection, Israel.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004
 * Sharaf M. R., and A. S. Aldawood. 2012. Ants of the genus Solenopsis Westwood 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species, Solenopsis elhawagryi. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49485. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049485