Crematogaster auberti

This ant was observed on larvae of that were feeding on Erophaca baetica in Sierra Morena, southern Spain. It has also been associated with the butterflies, and   (Obregon et al. 2015). Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on the ground in a moderate to low rainfall area.

Distribution
It occurs in North Africa, South Europe and Saudi Arabia to Iraq (Abdul-Rassoul et al. 2013).

Sharaf et al. (2019): This species was initially described from France and seems to have a broad distribution range from the south of France, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Canary Islands through all of North Africa to the Middle East, but is also found throughout the Balkans (Sharaf 2006; Borowiec and Salata 2012; Borowiec 2014; Guénard et al. 2017; Janicki et al. 2017). On the Arabian Peninsula it has been only recorded from the KSA (Collingwood 1985; Collingwood and Agosti 1996; Borowiec and Salata 2012; Borowiec 2014).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia. Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Balearic Islands, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Spain, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  auberti. Crematogaster auberti Emery, 1869b: 23 (footnote) (w.) FRANCE. André, 1883b: 395 (q.); Emery, 1891b: 14 (m.). Combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 142; in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166. Subspecies of scutellaris: Emery & Forel, 1879: 464; of schmidti: Emery, 1891b: 14; of inermis: Emery, 1926: 3. Status as species: Forel, 1894d: 24; Forel, 1902a: 152; Bondroit, 1918: 115; Karavaiev, 1927b: 104; Finzi, 1930b: 15; Santschi, 1937e: 300. Senior synonym of iberica: Collingwood, 1978: 69. Current subspecies: nominal plus karawaewi, levithorax, nigripes, regilla, savinae, vogti.
 * iberica. Crematogaster auberti var. iberica Forel, 1909c: 103 (w.) SPAIN. Menozzi, 1922b: 327 (m.). Junior synonym of auberti: Collingwood, 1978: 69.

Taxonomic Notes
Sharaf et al. (2019): This is likely one of the most problematic species treated in this study. The taxonomic history provided above is complex with numerous status changes and infraspeciﬁc taxa. Borowiec (2014) states that all records from the eastern parts of the Mediterranean region are doubtful and likely misidentiﬁcations. If so, this would mean that the material from KSA is probably another species. However, at present and without a meaningful treatment of the European Crematogaster fauna, it is not possible for us to ascertain the genuine identity of this species. Thus, we maintain it as C. auberti for the moment and await further study of type material in European collections which might help elucidate its real identity.

Pashaei Rad et al. (2018): A comparison of the type images strongly suggest that Crematogaster afghanica may be a simple junior synonym of Crematogaster auberti. Pisarski (1967) did not mention C. auberti apparently basing his separation on a comparison with Crematogaster sorokini. That also, however, seems almost indistinguishable from C. auberti and was described originally as a variety of C. auberti.