Technomyrmex setosus

The type material was found "under a stone in the Asir mountains."

Identification
A member of the T. pallipes complex in the Technomyrmex albipes group.

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

Biology
Sharaf et al. (2018): Workers were collected from diverse habitats in the southwestern mountains of the KSA: Wadi Turabah (Al Bahah Province). A nest series was found under a rock next to an old Acacia (Fabaceae), where several workers were ascending the trunks and the twigs of these native plants, a foraging behavior mentioned by Bolton (2007). Several workers of Formicinae Lepisiota obtusa (Emery 1901) were found foraging in the same area. This site is in a valley that has flowing drainages during the rainy season and supports a remarkable diversity of native vegetation that flourishes after the rains.

In Shohba Forest (Al Bahah Province) this species was found foraging on a trunk of Acacia sp. and next to a Juniperus procera Hochst. exEndl. tree (Cupressaceae). In Wadi El Zaraeb (Al Bahah Province) workers of T. setosus were found under a rock near a J. procera tree in an area of scattered trees of Olea europea L. subsp. africana (Mill.) PS Green (Oleaceae) and Dodonae aviscosa Jacq. (Sapindaceae). In Beljorashi Forest (Al Bahah Province), this species was observed under an Acacia tree. In Al Sawda Mountains and in the Raydah Nature Preserve (Asir Province), workers of T. setosus were foraging on the ground where the soil was dry and rich in decaying organic material.

Technomyrmex setosus was also collected from Wadi Al-Farah (Medina Province) (Collingwood and Agosti 1996), a mountainous rocky region with steep hillsides. The plant cover includes some Acacia trees, perennial bushes, and shrubs (Abo-Khatwa et al. 1980). The species was collected from Wadi Shuqub (Collingwood 1985), a site with dense Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile (Zygophyllaceae), perennial vegetation and Acacia woods (Büttiker 1981).

Nomenclature

 *  setosus. Technomyrmex setosus Collingwood, 1985: 243, fig. 12 (w.) SAUDI ARABIA. See also: Bolton, 2007a: 37.

Worker
TL 2.9 - 3.0, HL 0.64 - 0.67, HW 0.59, SL 0.64 - 0.66, PW 0.41, WL 0.80 - 0.82 (2 measured). Indices: CI 88 - 92, SI 108 - 112, OI 25 27, EPI 75 78, DTI 132.

Frontal carina with 2 setae: in profile one above the torulus and one at about the level of the anterior portion of the eye. Posterior to this is I pair of much shorter setae at level of posterior margin of eve, 1 pair between the latter and the posterior margin of the head that are shorter than'the maximum diameter of the eye, and 2 pairs at the posterior margin itself, a median pair and a much more lateral pair, all shorter than the maximum diameter of the eye. Scapes and tibiae without setae. Anterior clypeal margin transverse or at most with an extremely feeble median impression. In full-face view the posterior margin of the head appears transverse or even very slightly convex, but when head is tilted slightly forward from full-face the margin appears very shallowly evenly concave across its entire width. Outer margins of eyes just fail to break the outlines of the sides in full-face view. Number of setal pairs on mesosoma: pronotum 1; mesonotum 2; propodeal dorsum 0; lateral margin of propodeal declivity 2. Mesonotum in profile evenly rounded, without a differentiated declivitous face. Propodeal dorsum in profile very short, much shorter than depth of declivity to the spiracle; dorsum and declivity meet in an angle. Gastral tergites 1 - 4 with dense greyish pubescence and each with several pairs of setae, the longest on the first tergite about equal to the maximum diameter of the eye or fractionally shorter. Head and gaster brown to dark brown; mesosoma a much lighter yellowish brown and distinctly contrasting. All leg segments a dull dirty yellow, slightly lighter than the mesosoma.

Taxonomic Notes
Sharaf et al. (2018): Technomyrmex setosus was described from the holotype worker and two paratype workers collected from Wadi Shuqub (incorrectly written by Collingwood (1985) as Shugub because of the pronunciation of “q” to “g” by native KSA citizens), Al Bahah Province. The holotype and the two paratypes are not in NHMB and are considered lost. Two workers from Shaqiq (KSA) and three from Jebel Balas (KSA) are deposited in the WMLC and are T. setosus, but are not considered to be types. These specimens are from a locality not indicated in the original publication (Collingwood 1985). A Neotype for the species is herein designated to maintain the nomenclatural stability. Bolton (2007) already indicated that no type material of T. setosus could be located in NHMB or WMLC. He mentioned the presence of the two workers from Shaqiq (examined above) labelled as types, but with different locality data than the type material listed in the original description. Bolton (2007) concept of T. setosus was based on these two specimens.

Notes on the original type material

Holotype and paratype workers, Saudi Arabia: Wadi Shugub, 7.iv.l983 (CA. Collingwood) (location of types not known, not in ).

The type-series cannot be located. NHMB, the depository designated in the original descnption, has no record of them. However, in World Museum Liverpool are two workers with the data Saudi Arabia: Shaqiq, 8.iv.1983, presumably collected by Collingwood and incorrectly labeled as types In the Collingwood collection. The locality Shaqiq is not noted for this species either in Collingwood (1985) or Collingwood & Agosti (1996). Interpretation of selosus in this study is therefore based on these two specimens, which match the original description but not the rather sketchy figure.