Trichomyrmex mayri

Monomorium mayri is considered one of the most common ant species of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a common species at Rawdhat Khorim, Saudi Arabia, exhibits high abundances from April to October, peaking in June and slowly declining from November to March (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Identification
Bolton (1987)

Answering the description of destructor in all respects except colour, mayri being uniformly dark brown, sometimes with a paler patch at the base of the first gastral tergite.

I have decided to retain mayri as a valid species, separate from destructor, for the time being. The colour character is admittedly feeble but appears to be consistent, and mayri does not show the tramping ability so strongly developed in destructor.

Distribution
Trichomyrmex mayri has been successfully introduced into many regions of the tropics but compared with Trichomyrmex destructor apparently has a more limited invasion capability (Bolton 1987). The speculated origin of the species is the Indian subcontinent (Bolton 1987), with geographic extensions westward to the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood 1985; Collingwood and Agosti 1996; Sharaf et al. 2013; Abdul-Rassoul et al. 2013; Tigar and Collingwood, 1993), North Africa (Egypt) (Sharaf 2006) and along the coastal zones of Sub-Saharan Africa (Bolton 1987). It is also recorded from the Far East (Thailand and Malaysia) (Bolton 1987) (Sharaf et al., 2013; Sharaf et al., 2017).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Mali, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Socotra Archipelago, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. Oriental Region: India. Palaearctic Region: China, Iraq, Israel, Oman.

Arabian Peninsula
Sharaf et al. (2016) – A nest series was found under a Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton 1811 tree and coexisting with several ant species including: Carebara arabica, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Nylanderia jaegerskioeldi, Monomorium sp. and Cardiocondyla sp. Another nest series was found under a stone next to a Citrus limon (L.) Burm. F. (Rutaceae) tree and a nest of Brachyponera sennaarensis (Mayr, 1862). Many workers were foraging on moist clay soil under a mango tree, Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae). Some other workers were collected from dry leaf litter under a Myoporum insulare R.Br. (Scrophulariaceae) tree. A nest was found under a stone in moist soil and next to a Juniperus procera Hochst. ex. Endlicher (Cupressaceae) in the Asir Mountains. Some workers were foraging in leaf litter under a Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) tree. Another nest was found in moist soil, rich in decayed organic matter and the surrounding area of dense grasses. Many workers were collected by sifting the leaf litter under date palms. In Shada Al A’la, a nest was found under a discarded bag filled with soil rich in decaying organic matter under a coffee tree, Coffea arabica L. (Rubiaceae). Several workers were found under the bark of Acacia sp. trees. A nest series was foraging under a pomegranate tree, Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae). Some workers were collected under a ficus tree (Moraceae) where soil was moist and rich in decaying organic matter.

Yemen
Sharaf et al. (2017) - This species is one of the more widely distributed invasive species in Socotra due to its broad range of acceptable habitats. It was observed foraging on the ground next to a date palm tree. Several specimens were collected from leaf litter where the soil was moist and rich in the faecal material of sheep and goats. Another nest was found in dry soil under Eragrostis eragrostis (L.) (Poaceae). Several workers were foraging on sandy, moist soil next to a small running stream. Many workers were observed foraging on green twigs of a plant and coexisting with Tapinoma melanocephalum. Workers of a nest series were foraging on a rock next to a Cochliasanthus caracalla (L.) Trew (Fabaceae) plant. Several workers were nesting in loose, dry soil under a rock. Many individuals were foraging at the base of a trunk of Boswellia scacra Flueck. (Buseraceae). Another nest series was found in a dry leaf litter close to a date palm tree.

Nomenclature

 *  mayri. Monomorium gracillimum var. mayri Forel, 1902c: 209 (w.) INDIA. Wheeler, W.M. 1923b: 3 (m.). Combination in M. (Parholcomyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 180; in Trichomyrmex: Ward et al., 2014: 16. Subspecies of destructor: Forel, 1911a: 24; Viehmeyer, 1916a: 132. Raised to species and senior synonym of karawajewi: Bolton, 1987: 326.
 * karawajewi. Monomorium (Parholcomyrmex) gracillimum var. karawajewi Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 875 (w.) SUDAN. [First available use of Monomorium destructor r. gracillimum var. karawajewi Forel, 1913d: 437; unavailable name.] Raised to species: Collingwood, 1985: 270. Junior synonym of mayri: Bolton, 1987: 326.

Type Material
Sharaf et al. (2016) - India, Indomalaya. Syntype worker [examined] (lectotype here designated (CASENT0249904) ).