Ants of Saudi Arabia

The information on this page is based on the work of many myrmecologists. Past work is being brought up to date through ongoing studies by Mostofa Sharaf (King Saud University, Riyadh). Sharaf's taxonomic research is motivated by his own field sampling. Thus his new species descriptions are often published with Saudi Arabian centric generic-summaries, generic keys, and biological details from first-hand field observations.

The generic accounts below may include country or regional specific text-summaries and links to species keys. Some species names are mentioned here but this page does not provide a complete faunal list for the country. That list is found here: Saudi Arabia. Also, there is no list of source references. They can easily be found elsewhere on Antwiki. The source and full reference for each key, for example, is provided with the key. The reference for any of the citations included on this page can be found by visiting the author pages, e.g., Mostofa Sharaf.

Aenictus
A single species, Aenictus arabicus, is present. This ant is a member of the Aenictus wroughtonii group. There is information about diagnostic characters on the species page and the species group page, plus a Key to the Aenictus wroughtonii species group and a shorter key, with the species that most resemble A. arabicus, in the paper cited just below.

Sharaf, Aldawood, and El-Hawagry (2012) - Most Aenictus species are tropical (Brown 2000) and forage in soil and leaf litter. Aenictus are all believed to hunt other ants and termites (Gotwald 1995, Rosciszewski and Maschwitz 1994). Ten species of Aenictus have been reported from the Palaearctic, nine of which are distributed in the Southwestern part of the region, from Morocco in the west to Afghanistan in the east (Aktaç et al. 2004). Many of the Southeast Asian species forage on the ground, with a few utilizing trees (e.g., Hirosawa et al. 2000).

The presence of an Aenictus species in the Southwestern part of Saudi Arabia is not surprising as the area is regarded as Afrotropical. There are likely more Afrotropical ants awaiting discovery in the area.

Anochetus
There are two species (Anochetus sedilloti, Anochetus traegaordhi) and a Key to Arabian Anochetus.

Aphaenogaster
There is one species, Aphaenogaster gibbosa, and a regional Key to Arabian Aphaenogaster.

Brachymyrmex
Sharaf et al. (2016) reported on the discovery of the introduced Brachymyrmex cordemoyi in Saudi Arabia:

This species was found nesting in soil at the base of a date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in King Saud University campus, Riyadh. Specimens were collected by sifting the soil which was a mixture of sandy clay, with much decaying organic material. Workers were found about 8 cm deep in the soil. Other ant species collected with B. cordemoyi included: Solenopsis saudiensis, Nylanderia jaegerskioeldi Tapinoma simrothi and Cardiocondyla mauritanica.

Brachyponera
The only species, Brachyponera sennaarensis, is introduced. Go to the species page for some specific regional information.

Camponotus
Saudi Arabian Camponotus species

There is no Camponotus key with all the known species, but the following keys do include species that occur in Saudi Arabia:
 * Key to Camponotus of Turkey
 * Key to Camponotus of Israel

Cardiocondyla
There are six species (Saudi Arabian Cardiocondyla species) and they can be identified using the Key to Holartic Cardiocondyla.

Carebara
There are two species, Carebara arabica and Carebara fayrouzae. Their species pages have information for distinguishing these two species from one another.

Cataglyphis
List of Saudi Arabian Cataglyphis species.

More than 20 species have been reported. This is a taxonomically difficult genus and no key available.

Crematogaster
Sharaf et al. (2019) - Crematogaster inermis 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.


 * Crematogaster acaciae Forel, 1892
 * Crematogaster aegyptiaca Mayr, 1862
 * Crematogaster antaris Forel, 1894
 * Crematogaster auberti Emery, 1869
 * Crematogaster chiarinii Emery, 1881
 * Crematogaster delagoensis Forel, 1894
 * Crematogaster gryllsi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2019
 * Crematogaster jehovae Forel, 1907
 * Crematogaster laestrygon Emery, 1869
 * Crematogaster mimosae Santschi, 1914
 * Crematogaster oasium Santschi, 1911
 * Crematogaster senegalensis Roger, 1863
 * Crematogaster striaticeps Forel, 1909

Cryptopone

 * Cryptopone ochracea (Mayr, 1855)

Dorylus

 * Dorylus fulvus (Westwood, 1839)

Emeryopone

 * Emeryopone loebli (Baroni Urbani, 1975)

Hypoponera

 * Hypoponera abeillei (André, 1881)
 * Hypoponera eduardi (Forel, 1894)
 * Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859)
 * Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894)

Lepisiota

 * Lepisiota arabica Collingwood, 1985
 * Lepisiota bipartita (Smith, F., 1861)
 * Lepisiota canescens (Emery, 1897)
 * Lepisiota carbonaria (Emery, 1892)
 * Lepisiota dammama Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Lepisiota dhofara Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Lepisiota erythraea (Forel, 1910)
 * Lepisiota gracilicornis (Forel, 1892)
 * Lepisiota harteni Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Lepisiota incisa (Forel, 1913)
 * Lepisiota karawaiewi (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929)
 * Lepisiota nigra (Dalla Torre, 1893)
 * Lepisiota nigrescens (Karavaiev, 1912)
 * Lepisiota obtusa (Emery, 1901)
 * Lepisiota opaciventris (Finzi, 1936)
 * Lepisiota riyadha Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Lepisiota sericea (Forel, 1892)
 * Lepisiota simplex (Forel, 1892)
 * Lepisiota spinisquama (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929)
 * Lepisiota validiuscula (Emery, 1897)

Leptogenys

 * Leptogenys maxillosa (Smith, 1858)
 * Leptogenys polaszeki Sharaf & Akbar, 2017

Lioponera

 * Lioponera longitarsus (Mayr, 1878)

Melissotarsus

 * Melissotarsus emeryi Forel, 1907

Meranoplus

 * Meranoplus pulcher Sharaf, 2014

Mesoponera

 * Mesoponera ambigua André, 1890

Messor

 * Messor aralocaspius (ruzsky, 1902)
 * Messor arenarius (Fabricius, 1787)
 * Messor buettikeri 	Collingwood, 1985
 * Messor ceresis Santschi, 1934
 * Messor crawleyi Santschi, 1928
 * Messor decipiens Santschi, 1917
 * Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor foreli Santschi, 1923
 * Messor galla (Mayr, 1904)
 * Messor hismai Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Messor intermedius Santschi, 1927
 * Messor medioruber Santschi, 1910
 * Messor meridionalis (André, 1883)
 * Messor minor (André, 1883)
 * Messor muraywahus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Messor muscatus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Messor picturatus Santschi, 1927
 * Messor rufotestaceus (Foerster, 1850)
 * Messor striaticeps (André, 1883)
 * Messor syriacus Tohme, 1969

Monomorium

 * Monomorium abeillei André, 1881
 * Monomorium areniphilum Santschi, 1911
 * Monomorium asiriense 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium bicolor Emery, 1877
 * Monomorium brunneolucidulum Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium buxtoni Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium carbo Forel, 1910
 * Monomorium clavicorne André, 1883
 * Monomorium dammame 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium exiguum Forel, 1894
 * Monomorium fayfaense 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium fezzanense 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium gallagheri Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium hanaqe 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium harithe 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium hemame Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium holothir Bolton, 1987
 * Monomorium jizane Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium luteum Emery, 1881
 * Monomorium majarishe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium matame Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium mohammedi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2018
 * Monomorium najrane 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium niloticum Emery, 1881
 * Monomorium nitidiventre Emery, 1881
 * Monomorium phoenicum Santschi, 1927
 * Monomorium riyadhe 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium sarawatense Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013
 * Monomorium salomonis (Linnaeus, 1758)
 * Monomorium subdenticorne Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium suleyile Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium tumaire 	Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Monomorium venustum (Smith, F., 1858)

Nesomyrmex

 * Nesomyrmex angulatus (Mayr, 1862)

Oxyopomyrmex

 * Oxyopomyrmex nitidior Santschi, 1910

Parasyscia

 * Parasyscia rifati Sharaf & Akbar, 2018
 * Parasyscia wittmeri Collingwood, 1985

Pheidole

 * Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879
 * Pheidole jordanica Saulcy, 1874
 * Pheidole katonae Forel, 1907
 * Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793)
 * Pheidole minuscula Bernard, 1953
 * Pheidole parva Mayr, 1865
 * Pheidole rugaticeps Emery, 1877
 * Pheidole sculpturata Mayr, 1866
 * Pheidole sinaitica Mayr, 1862

Plagiolepis

 * Plagiolepis abyssinica
 * Plagiolepis boltoni Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011
 * Plagiolepis juddi Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011
 * Plagiolepis schmitzii

Platythyrea

 * Platythyrea modesta Emery, 1899

Polyrhachis

 * Polyrhachis lacteipennis Smith, F. 1858
 * Polyrhachis viscosa Smith, F. 1858

Solenopsis

 * Solenopsis abdita Thompson, 1989
 * Solenopsis elhawagryi Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012

Strumigenys

 * Strumigenys arnoldi Forel, 1913
 * Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869

Syllophopsis

 * Syllophopsis kondratieffi (Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013)
 * Syllophopsis saudiensis Aldawood, 2016

Tapinolepis

 * Tapinolepis longitarsis (Collingwood & Agosti, 1996)
 * Tapinolepis tumidula (Emery, 1915)

Tapinoma

 * Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 1911
 * Tapinoma wilsoni Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012

Technomyrmex

 * Technomyrmex briani Sharaf, 2009
 * Technomyrmex montaseri Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011
 * Technomyrmex setosus Collingwood, 1985

Temnothorax

 * Temnothorax almeqeri Sharaf, 2019
 * Temnothorax arabicus Sharaf & Akbar, 2017
 * Temnothorax elmenshawyi Sharaf, Wachkoo & Hita Garcia, 2019

Tetramorium

 * Tetramorium amalae Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012
 * Tetramorium biskrense Forel, 1904
 * Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857)
 * Tetramorium calidum Forel, 1907
 * Tetramorium chefketi Forel, 1911
 * Tetramorium depressiceps Menozzi, 1933
 * Tetramorium doriae Emery, 1881
 * Tetramorium hirsutum 	Collingwood & van Harten, 2005
 * Tetramorium jizani 	Collingwood, 1985
 * Tetramorium juba Collingwood, 1985
 * Tetramorium khyarum Bolton, 1980
 * Tetramorium latinode Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870
 * Tetramorium latinode Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
 * Tetramorium saudiae (Collingwood & Agosti, 1996)
 * Tetramorium saudicum Sharaf, 2013
 * Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877
 * Tetramorium shirlae Sharaf, 2007
 * Tetramorium squaminode Santschi, 1911
 * Tetramorium syriacum Emery, 1924

Tetraponera

 * Tetraponera ambigua (Emery, 1895)

Trichomyrmex

 * Trichomyrmex almosayari Sharaf & Aldawood, 2016
 * Trichomyrmex chobauti (Emery, 1896)
 * Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerdon, 1851)
 * Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel, 1902)
 * Trichomyrmex robustior (Forel, 1892)
 * Trichomyrmex shakeri Sharaf & Al Dhafer, 2016

Uncertain species
The following species was described from Saudi Arabia but its true identity is currently unknown.
 * Formica aequalis Walker, 1871