Cardiocondyla fajumensis

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
A member of the Cardiocondyla shuckardi group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Sudan, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Palaearctic Region: Egypt, Iran.

Nomenclature

 * . Cardiocondyla nuda var. fajumensis Forel, 1913d: 429 (q.) EGYPT.
 * Type-material: syntype queens (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Egypt: Fayum (U. Sahlberg).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * [Misspelled as fayumensis by Finzi, 1936: 171.]
 * Subspecies of nuda: Emery, 1922e: 126; Finzi, 1936: 171; Bolton, 1995b: 132.
 * Status as species: Seifert, 2003a: 260 (redescription); Paknia, et al. 2008: 153; Borowiec, L. 2014: 46.
 * Senior synonym of nilotica: Seifert, 2003a: 260.
 * Senior synonym of schatzmayri: Seifert, 2003a: 260.
 * Distribution: Cape Verde, Egypt, Iran, Sudan, Yemen.
 * nilotica. Cardiocondyla nilotica Weber, 1952a: 8, fig. 13 (w.) SUDAN.
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Sudan (“Anglo-Egyptian Sudan”): White Nile R., Ed Dueim, 14°00’N, 2.vii.1939, no. 1234 (N.A. Weber).
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1982: 315; Bolton, 1995b: 132; Rigato, 2002: 172 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of fajumensis: Seifert, 2003a: 260.
 * schatzmayri. Cardiocondyla emeryi subsp. schatzmayri Finzi, 1936: 170, fig. 5 (w.q.) EGYPT, SUDAN.
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
 * Type-localities: Egypt: Helwan, 2.iii.1933 (K. Koch), Egypt: Alexandria, 13.i.191933 (Schatzmayr & Koch), Egypt: Barrage, 3.ix.1933 (no collector’s name), Egypt: Kirdassah, 7.ix.1933 (W. Wittmer), Egypt: Atar El Nabi, 6.viii.1933 (W. Wittmer), Sudan: Wadi Halfa, 12.ii.1933 (A. Schatzmayr).
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * Subspecies of emeryi: Hamann & Klemm, 1967: 413; Bolton, 1995b: 133.
 * Junior synonym of fajumensis: Seifert, 2003a: 260.

Worker
Seifert (2003) - Large species, CS 594 ± 28. Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.205. Postocular distance large, PoOc/CL 0.445. Scape very long, SUCS 0.862. Eyes very small (EYE 0.211) and with fine setae of 7 - 13 mm length. Occipital margin straight. Paramedian area of vertex strongly reticulate, meshes with bicoronate foveolae of 19 - 21 mm diameter. Median area of vertex, frontal laminae, and clypeus longitudinally carinulate. Frontal carinae slightly converging immediately posterior of FRS level. Dorsal area of promesonotum moderately shining and weakly carinulate-reticulate. Propodeum and lateral area of mesosoma finely reticulate. Metanotal impression very deep. Spines reduced to blunt rectangular corners. Petiole with long peduncle and a massive node, dorsal profile evenly rounded in lateral view, as long as wide and circular in dorsal view. Postpetiole narrow and ventrally with 2 suggested paramedian, longitudinal carinae, PPW/CS 0.430. Head yellowish to dirty yellowish brown, mesosoma and waist yellowish, gaster dark to blackish brown. 1 worker from Yemen: Al Mahrah 1997.02.13-3376 with much darker colour, petiole node more produced caudad, much longer tergite pubescence, and stronger mesosomal sculpture than in Palaearctic conspecifics.

Queen
Seifert (2003) - Large species, CS 63 1 ± 1 7. Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.185. Postocular index large, PoOc/CL 0.432. Occipital margin straight. Scape long, SUCS 0.815. Frontal carinae immediately caudal of FRS level parallel or slightly converging. Eyes with conspicuous hairs, longest hairs measuring 12 - 18 mm. Head sculpture comparable to worker, but foveolae (or meshes) with larger mean diameter, dFov 21 - 26 mm. Mesonotum and scutellum strongly longitudinally rugulose, with weak anastomosae. Propodeum reticulate; mesopleurae finely and metapleurae strongly longitudinally rugulose; pronotum and anepisternit rugulose with scattered foveolae. Spines reduced to obtusely angled corners. Petiole node as long as wide and circular in dorsal view. Postpetiole narrow, PPW/CS 0 .496, ventrally with 2 suggested paramedian, longitudinal carinae. Dorsal area of head posterior of level of antennal insertions dark brown, anterior of this light-orange brown. Mesosoma laterally, propodeum and waist light-orange brown to medium brown; mesonotum and scutellum often slightly darker. Gaster dark brown. Gynes from Yemen: Al Mahrah 1997.02.12-3366 in morphometry and most structural characters equal to type gynes and other Palaearctic conspecifics, but differing by darker colour, petiole node produced more caudad in lateral view, and dorsal mesosoma sculpture with the transverse component not weaker than the longitudinal one (i.e., clearly reticulate-foveolate).

Type Material
Seifert (2003) - Fajum /Egypt [types investigated]. 4 syntype gynes labelled “Cardiocondyla nuda var. fajumensis For., 9 type, Fajum (U.Sahlberg)”,.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 45: 307-370.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * 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.. "Fourmis de la faune méditerranéenne récoltées par MM. U. et J. Sahlberg." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 21 (1913): 427-438.
 * Hamann H. H. F., and W. Klemm W. 1967. Ergebnisse der zoologischen Nubien-Expedition 1962. Teil XXXIV. Hymenoptera - Formicidae. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 70: 411-421.
 * 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.
 * Rigato F. 2002. Three new Afrotropical Cardiocondyla Emery, with a revised key to the workers (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 134: 167-173.
 * Seifert B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 104: 203-338.
 * Seifert, B.. "The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica. C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups." Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 104B (2003): 203-338.