Monomorium esharre

Besides the Namibia type collection, the only other specimens are from South Africa. These are noted as being collected from a garden. No other biological information is known about this species.

Identification
Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. mediocre complex in the M. salomonis species group. All six small species in the complex show relatively feeble or very reduced cephalic sculpture and almost non-existent dorsal pilosity. Of the six nirvanum retains a single pair of backward directed hairs on the petiole, which is absent in the remainder. Monomorium rabirium, Monomorium osiridis and Monomorium zulu have eyes which are situated distinctly in front of the midlength of the sides of the head. The two remaining, mediocre and esharre, are separated by the characters noted in the key and under Monomorium mediocre.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Namibia.

Nomenclature

 *  esharre. Monomorium esharre Bolton, 1987: 343 (w.) NAMIBIA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.9, HL 0.52, HW 0.40, CI 77, SL 0.38, SI 95, PW 0.27, AL 0.56. Paratypes. TL 1.9-2.0, HL 0.52-0.54, HW 0.40-0.42, CI 77-78, SL 0.38, SI 90-95, PW 0.26-0.27, AL 0.56 (2 measured). Maximum diameter of eye 0.24-0.25 x HW and with 7 ommatidia in the longest row. Otherwise as holotype.

Median portion of clypeus with anterior margin shallowly convex. Eyes situated slightly in front of midlength of sides; maximum diameter of eye 0.25 x HW and with 7 ommatidia in the longest row. In full-face view the sides of the head weakly convergent behind the eyes and the occipital margin shallowly concave. Promesonotal dorsum evenly feebly convex in profile, the metanotal groove not impressed but the propodeal dorsum on a lower level than that of the mesonotum. Dorsum of head without standing hairs behind the level of the frontal lobes. Dorsal alitrunk without standing hairs. Petiole node without hairs but postpetiole with a single backward directed pair. First gastral tergite with an apical transverse row of hairs but without standing hairs on the tergite in front of this. Cephalic dorsum sculptured with faint superficial reticular patterning only. Pronotal dorsum finely reticulate to reticulate-shagreenate, the mesonotal dorsum similar; propodeal dorsum finely reticulate-punctulate to reticulate-granular. First gastral tergite with superficial reticular patterning only. Head and gaster blackish brown, the alitrunk somewhat lighter brown. Non-paratypic material. As holotype but lighter in colour, medium brown with the gaster darker. The head and alitrunk are approximately the same shade.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Namibia: Namib Desert, 15° 36' E, 23° 04' S, pitfall, sample P 17, 1984 (A. C. Marsh). Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH; ).