Crematogaster inermis

Distribution
Sharaf et al. (2019): Crematogaster inermis was originally described from Egypt and is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula through North Africa to the Middle East (Borowiec 2014; Guénard et al. 2017; Janicki et al. 2017). For the Arabian Peninsula, this species was only recorded from Yemen (Collingwood and van Harten 2001; Borowiec 20114). Knowing that it is widespread in the Mediterranean and Middle East and the only record for the Arabian Peninsula is from Yemen, we think that it is likely that it is also present in the KSA. Futher sampling is necessary to verify this.

Borowiec & Salata (2020): This taxon was recorded from Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Morocco but some of these records need confirmation. Additionally, records from Jordan need to be confirmation.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Spain.

Biology

 * This species is associated with the aphids, , , , , , and  (Saddiqui et al., 2019 and included references).

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster inermis Mayr, 1862: 766 (w.) EGYPT.
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Egypt: Sinai Peninsula (v. Frauenfeldt).
 * Type-depository: NMHW.
 * [Misspelled as niermis by Ceballos, 1956: 303.]
 * André, 1883b: 395 (q.); Santschi, 1937e: 296 (q.); Santschi, 1938a: 38 (m.).
 * Combination in C. (Crematogaster): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 840;
 * combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 143;
 * combination in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166.
 * Status as species: Mayr, 1863: 404; Roger, 1863b: 37; Mayr, 1877: 20 (in list); Mayr, 1879: 682 (in key); André, 1881b: 77; André, 1883b: 394 (in key); Forel, 1891b: 195 (redescription); Emery, 1891b: 15; Dalla Torre, 1893: 82; Mayr, 1895: 137; Forel, 1902a: 154; Forel, 1907a: 22; Santschi, 1908: 518; Karavaiev, 1911: 8; Emery, 1912e: 663; Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1916: 170; Arnold, 1920a: 539; Emery, 1922e: 143; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 840; Emery, 1926: 2; Santschi, 1929e: 149; Menozzi, 1929e: 125; Menozzi, 1933b: 58; Finzi, 1936: 173; Santschi, 1937e: 296; Santschi, 1938a: 38; Kugler, J. 1988: 258; Bolton, 1995b: 154; Cagniant, 2005: 10; Cagniant, 2006a: 198; Paknia, et al. 2008: 154; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 42; Borowiec, L. 2014: 66 (see note in bibliography); Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, 2014: 135; Sharaf, Aldawood & Hita Garcia, 2019: 58; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2020: 7.
 * Distribution: Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Yemen.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus aphrodite, armatula, lucida.

Taxonomic Notes
Recent material suggests that this is a group of cryptic taxa. Borowiec & Salata (2020) compared their material of this group from Jordan with type of Crematogaster warburgi and they appear to be conspecific.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alfieri A. 1931. Contribution à l'étude de la faune myrmécologique de l'Egypte. Bulletin. Société Entomologique d'Egypte 15: 42-48.
 * Alfieri, A.. "Contribution à l'étude de la faune myrmécologique de l'Egypte." Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 15 (1931): 42-48.
 * Bakr R. F. A., H. H. Fadl, R. M. Badawy, and M. R. Sharaf. 2007. Myrmecophile insects associated with some ant species (Hymenoptera : Formicidae )in Egypt. The second international conference of economic entomology (Entomological Society of Egypt) ,Cairo, Egypt, 8-11 December, (1): 205-233.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Chemala A., M. Benhamacha, D. M. Ould el Hadj, F. Marniche, and S. Daoudi. 2017. A preliminary list of the ant fauna in Northeastern Sahara of Algeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 64(2): 146-154.
 * Délye G. 1964. Sur le peuplement myrmécologique de quelques ergs du Sahara nord-occidental. Travaux de l'Institut de Recherches Sahariennes 23: 165-170.
 * Délye, G.. "Répartition des fourmis dans les grands massifs de dunes du Sahara nord-occidental (Hym.)." Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 74 (1970): 224-227.
 * Emery, C.. "Exploration scientifique de la Tunisie. Zoologie. - Hyménoptères. Révision critique des fourmis de la Tunisie." Explor. Scient. De la Tunisie Zoll. Hym. (Folleto) Paris. Imp (1891): iii + 21 pp.
 * Finzi, B.. "Risultati scientifici della spedizione di S. A. S. il Principe Alessandro della Torre e Tasso nell'Egitto e peninsola del Sinai. XI. Formiche." Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 20 (1936): 155-210.
 * Forel A. 1907. Formicides du Musée National Hongrois. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. 5: 1-42.
 * Forel, A.. "Miscellanea myrmécologiques." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 12 (1904): 1-52.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Karavaiev V. 1911. Ameisen aus Aegypten und dem Sudan. Rus. Entomol. Obozr. 11: 1-12.
 * Kugler J. 1988. The zoogeography of Israel. 9. The zoogeography of social insects of Israel and Sinai. Monographiae biologicae 62: 251-275.
 * Menozzi C. 1929. Formiche del Sinai raccolte dal Dr. F. S. Bodenheimer, con descrizione di una nuova specie di Monomorium del sottogen. Equestrimessor.. Pp. 125-128 in: Bodenheimer, F. S., Theodor, O. Ergebnisse der Sinai-Expedition 1927 der Hebräischen Universität, Jerusalem. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs'schum, 142 pp.
 * Mortazavi Z. S., H. Sadeghi, N. Aktac, L. Depa, L. Fekrat. 2015. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their aphid partners (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Mashhad region, Razavi Khorasan Province, with new records of aphids and ant species for fauna of Iran. Halteres 6:4-12.
 * Paknia O., A. Radchenko, H. Alipanah, and M. Pfeiffer. 2008. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News 11: 151-159.
 * Santschi F. 1929. Fourmis du Maroc, d'Algerie et de Tunisie. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belge 69: 138-165.
 * Santschi, F. 1937. Contribution à l'étude des Crematogaster paléarctiques. Memoires de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 5: 295-317.
 * Santschi, F. 1938. Mission Robert Ph. Dollfus en Égypte. XV. Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Mémoires de l'Institut d'Égypte 37: 253
 * Santschi, F. 1938. Quelques nouvelles fourmis d'Egypte. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 21: 28-44.
 * Santschi, F.. "Contribution à l'étude des Crematogaster paléarctiques." Mém. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 5 (1937): 295-317.
 * Santschi, F.. "Fourmis du Maroc, d'Algérie et de Tunisie." Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique (Bruxelles) 69 (1929): 138-165.
 * Santschi, F.. "Mission Robert Ph. Dollfus en Égypte (décembre 1927 - mars 1929). XV. Hymenoptera: Formicidae." Mém. Inst. Egypte 37 (1938): 253.
 * Santschi, F. 1908. Nouvelles fourmis de l'Afrique du Nord (Égypte, Canaries, Tunisie). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 77: 517-534.
 * Sharaf M. R., S. A. Aldawood, and F. Hita Garcia. 2019. Review of the Arabian Crematogaster Lund (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), synoptic list, distribution, and description of two new species from Oman and Saudi Arabia. ZooKeys 898: 27-81
 * Soulié J., and L. D. Dicko. 1965. La répartition des genres de fourmis de la tribu des "Cremastogastrini" dans la faune éthiopienne et malgache. Hymenoptera - Formicoidea - Myrmicidae. Ann. Univ. Abidjan Sér. Sci. 1: 85-106.
 * Tohme G. 1996. Formicidae. Etude de la diversité biologique n° 4 . Ministère de lAgriculture à Beyrouth (Eds.). P85-87.
 * Vonshak M., and A. Ionescu-Hirsch. 2009. A checklist of the ants of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 39: 33-55.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
 * Wheeler W. M. and W. M. Mann. 1916. The ants of the Phillips Expedition to Palestine during 1914. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 167-174.
 * Wheeler W. M., and W. M. Mann. 1916. The ants of the Phillips Expedition to Palestine during 1914. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 167-174.