Cataglyphis livida

Cataglyphis livida is a common species at Rawdhat Khorim, Saudi Arabia. Populations increase in spring and peak in June. This species was found abundantly foraging on Acacia gerrardii Benth (Sharaf et al., 2013). Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on the ground and in trees in medium to low rainfall areas.

Identification
Salata et al. (2021) - Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; mesosoma and coxa covered with a layer of silvery hair.

A study on type specimens of C. livida revealed that this species could be easily separated from most members of the livida complex based on the presence of a layer of silvery hair on propodeum and katepisternum, and lack of these on posterior head. Lack of comment on this feature in the original description combined with mislabeling of type specimens (see Bračko et al. 2016) caused confusion, leading to the long-lasting misinterpretation of C. livida.

Distribution
Salata et al. (2021) - Unknown. Due to mislabeling of type specimens of C. livida and Cataglyphis viaticoides, both species were wrongly interpreted, and most of their historic records require verification. Based on available material, we can confirm its presence in Egypt, coastal parts of Israel, Syria, and Antalya Province in Turkey.

Borowiec & Salata (2020) - A recent genetic study on members of the Cataglyphis albicans group showed that Cataglyphis livida occurs only on coastal part of Israel. While the border zone between Israel and Jordan is occupied by Cataglyphis arenaria (Eyer and Hefetz 2018). Both species are very similar morphologically and probably record from Petra by Wheeler and Mann (1916) concerns rather C. arenarius than C. livida.

Earlier records (likely no longer valid): This species is widely distributed from Egypt to Afghanistan (Radchenko, 1997) and has been reported from all countries of the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood, 1985; Tigar and Collingwood, 1993; Collingwood and Agosti, 1996; Tigar and Osborne, 1999; Collingwood et al. 2011) (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Bulgaria, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 * . Myrmecocystus albicans var. lividus André, 1881b: 58 (in text) (w.) ISRAEL.
 * Menozzi, 1933b: 84 (q.m.).
 * Combination in Myrmecocystus (Cataglyphis): Santschi, 1910f: 234;
 * combination in Cataglyphis: Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1916: 173.
 * Subspecies of albicans: André, 1882b: 168 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 216; Emery, 1893f: 257; Forel, 1902a: 156; Forel, 1904b: 383; Emery, 1906d: 54; Forel, 1906c: 189; Forel, 1909e: 384; Forel, 1910a: 13; Santschi, 1910f: 234; Forel, 1911f: 280; Forel, 1911h: 458; Karavaiev, 1911: 10; Karavaiev, 1912a: 16; Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1916: 173; Stitz, 1917: 348; Santschi, 1921d: 72; Viehmeyer, 1923: 93; Karavaiev, 1924: 305; Emery, 1925b: 262; Menozzi, 1927g: 380; Santschi, 1929b: 40; Santschi, 1929c: 107; Menozzi, 1929e: 128; Stitz, 1932b: 737; Santschi, 1932f: 518; Menozzi, 1933b: 84; Santschi, 1934d: 281; Finzi, 1936: 192; Bernard, 1948: 163; Donisthorpe, 1950e: 1065; Bernard, 1953a: 201; Délye, 1960: 264.
 * Status as species: Arnol'di, 1964: 1810; Pisarski, 1965: 420; Pisarski, 1967: 418; Pisarski, 1970: 324; Aktaç, 1977: 128; Collingwood, 1985: 290; Kugler, J. 1988: 259; Agosti, 1990b: 1494; Arakelian, 1994: 106; Bolton, 1995b: 136; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 381; Radchenko, 1997c: 428; Radchenko, 1998: 506 (in key); Mohamed, Zalat, et al. 2001: 45; Paknia, et al. 2008: 154; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 39; Lapeva-Gjonova, et al. 2010: 58; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 458; Kiran & Karaman, 2012: 9; Sharaf, Abdel-Dayem, et al. 2013: 570; Borowiec, L. 2014: 57.

Taxonomic Notes
Bracko et al. (2016) - The status of this species was misinterpreted probably due to confusion with type material preserved in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. André (1881), in the original description, clearly wrote that specimens named as a Myrmecocystus albicans var. viaticoides were collected in Beyruth (Lebanon). As diagnostic features he noted red colouration of the head and mesosoma and mostly black gaster. In the same paper he described another taxon: Myrmecocystus albicans var. lividus. Specimens of this species were collected in Jaffa, Syria (now Israel) and were distinguished by whole body pale reddish and only apex of gaster infuscate (now dried syntypes appear faded and are almost completely yellow). Surprisingly, in the material preserved in Paris Museum one bicoloured syntype with dark gaster with determination label “viaticoides” has locality label “Syrie” (available in AntWeb https://www.antweb.org/specimen/ CASENT0912236) and another one, uniformly yellow syntype with determination label “viaticoides”, has locality label “Beyrouth” (available in AntWebhttps://www.antweb.org/ specimen/CASENT0915503). In the same collection there is also one syntype of uniformly yellow body with determination label “lividus” and locality label “Syrie” (available in AntWebhttps://www.antweb.org/specimen/CASENT0915499). We found two other syntypes with determination label “lividus” and locality label “Jaffa” in Forel’s collection in Genève (available in AntWeb https://www.antweb.org/specimen/ CASENT0911099) and in Santschi’s collection in Basel (available in AntWeb https:// www.antweb.org/specimen/CASENT0912207). Radchenko (1997) studied syntype labelled “Beyrouth” (with mostly yellow abdomen) and suggested that records of bicoloured Cataglyphis viaticoides from Turkey, Caucasus and Iran concern Cataglyphis rubra (Forel, 1903). In his next paper with a key to Asian members of the genus Cataglyphis (Radchenko 1998), he named bicoloured taxon as a C. rubra and unicoloured taxa as a C. lividus and C. viaticoides with note that C. viaticoides is a problematic species. Agosti (1990), in his review of Cataglyphis, noted that syntypes of C. viaticoides do not correspond with species description but he did not propose any solution of this problem. In our opinion only syntypes from Beyruth should be the true types of C. viaticoides, while syntypes from Syrie or Jaffa should be treated as a true types of C. lividus. Probably, discussed above syntypes, were inversely labeled in Paris Museum (bicolored specimens should have label "Beyrouth / Abeille" and uniformly yellow specimens should have label “Jaffa / Abeille” or "Syrie / Abeille"). Cataglyphis viaticoides is the only species of the mentioned above two taxa which occurs in Greece. Data on the distribution of C. bicolor (Fabricius, 1793) in Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Iran, the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula should refer to C. viaticoides. True C. bicolor is restricted only to North Africa (Wehner et al. 1994, C. Galkowski pers. comm).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Abdul-Rassoul M. S., H. A. Dawah, and N. Y. Othman. 1978. Records of insect collection (Part I) in the natural history research centre, Baghdad. Bull. Nat. Hist. Res. Centre 7(2): 1-6.
 * Agosti D. 1990. Review and reclassification of Cataglyphis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 24: 1457-1505.
 * Agosti, D. 1990. Review and reclassification of Cataglyphis (Hymentopera: Formicidae) . Journal of Natural History 24:1457-1505.
 * Ahmad G. M. M., and M. I. Basuony. 2003. Taxonomy and biodiversity of ant fauna of the Mediterranean coastal desert (Western desert-Egypt). J. Egypt. Ger. Soc. Zool. 42E: 69-83.
 * Aktaç, N.. "Studies on the myrmecofauna of Turkey I. Ants of Siirt, Bodrum and Trabzon." Istanbul Universitesi Fen Fakultesi Mecmuasi. Seri B 41 (1977): 115-135.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Gambia (Western Africa). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 26: 1-13.
 * Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
 * Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405474
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * Crawley W. C. 1920. Ants from Mesopotamia and north-west Persia (concluded). Entomol. Rec. J. Var. 32: 177-179.
 * Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
 * Donisthorpe, H.. "A first instalment of the ants of Turkey." Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)3 (1950): 1057-1067.
 * Délye G. 1960. Fourmis du Tassili des Ajjer. Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle de l'Afrique du Nord 51: 259-272.
 * Emery C. 1906. Rassegna critica delle specie paleartiche del genere Myrmecocystus. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna (6)3: 47-61.
 * Emery, C.. "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der palaearktischen Ameisen." Öfversigt af Finska Vetenskaps-Societetens Förhandlingar (Helsinki) 20 (1898): 124-151.
 * Forel A. 1904. Note sur les fourmis du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences à St. Pétersbourg. Ezheg. Zool. Muz. 8: 368-388.
 * Forel A. 1910. Glanures myrmécologiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 54: 6-32.
 * Forel A. 1911. Fourmis d'Afrique et d'Asie. I. Fourmis d'Afrique surtout du Musée du Congo Belge. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 1: 274-283.
 * Forel A. 1911. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 47: 331-400.
 * Forel A. 1911. Sur le genre Metapone n. g. nouveau groupe des Formicides et sur quelques autres formes nouvelles. Rev. Suisse Zool. 19: 445-459.
 * Ghahari H., and C. A. Collingwood. 2013. A study on the ants (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Formicidae) from Western Iran. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica 48 (1): 155164.
 * Kiran K., and C. Karaman. 2012. First annotated checklist of the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3548: 1-38.
 * Kugler J. 1988. The zoogeography of Israel. 9. The zoogeography of social insects of Israel and Sinai. Monographiae biologicae 62: 251-275.
 * Lapeva-Gjonova, L., V. Antonova, A. G. Radchenko, and M. Atanasova. "Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria." ZooKeys 62 (2010): 1-124.
 * Menozzi C. 1929. Formiche del Sinai raccolte dal Dr. F. S. Bodenheimer, con descrizione di una nuova specie di Monomorium del sottogen. Equestrimessor.. Pp. 125-128 in: Bodenheimer, F. S., Theodor, O. Ergebnisse der Sinai-Expedition 1927 der Hebräischen Universität, Jerusalem. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs'schum, 142 pp.
 * Mohamed, S., S. Zalat, H. Fadl, S.Gadalla and M. Sharaf. 2001. Taxonomy of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) collected by pitfall traps from Sinai and Delta region, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Natural History 3:40-61
 * Omid P., and H. G. Kami. 2007. New and additional records for the formicid fauna (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 40(1): 85-90.
 * 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.
 * Paknia O., and M. Pfeiffer. 2014. Niche-based processes and temporal variation of environment drive beta diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in dryland ecosystems of Iran. Myrmecological News 20: 15-23.
 * Pashaei Rad S., B. Taylor, R. Torabi, E. Aram, G. Abolfathi, R. Afshari, F. Borjali, M. Ghatei, F. Hediary, F. Jazini, V. Heidary Kiah, Z. Mahmoudi, F. Safariyan, and M. Seiri. 2018. Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 64(2): 145-159.
 * Pisarski B. 1965. Les fourmis du genre Cataglyphis Foerst. en Irak (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bulletin de l'Académie Polonaise des Sciences. Série des Sciences Biologiques 13: 417-422.
 * Pisarski B. 1967. Fourmis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) d'Afghanistan récoltées par M. Dr. K. Lindberg. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 24: 375-425.
 * Radchenko A. G. 1998. A key to ants of the genus Cataglyphis Foerster (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Asia. Entomological Review (Birmingham) 78: 475-480.
 * Radchenko, A.G. 1998. A key to ants of the genus Cataglyphis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Asia. Entomological Review 78(4):475-480.
 * Santschi F. 1910. Mission Gruvel et Chudeau en Mauritanie occidentale. III. Partie zoologique. Hyménoptères. 2e partie. Actes de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux. 64: 233-234.
 * Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004
 * Tigar B. J., and C. A. Collingwood. 1993. A preliminary list of ant records from Abu Dhabi Emirate, U.A.E. Tribulus 3(2): 13-14.
 * Timmermans, I., L. Grumiau, A. Hefetz and S. Aron. 2010. Mating system and population structure in the desert ant Cataglyphis livida. Insectes Sociaux 57(1):39-46.
 * Viehmeyer H. 1923. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der mit Unterstützung der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien aus der Erbschaft Treitl von F. Werner unternommenen zoologischen Expedition nach dem anglo-ägyptischen Sudan (Kordofan) 1914. VII. Hymenoptera A. Formicidae. Denkschriften der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse 98: 83-94.
 * Vonshak M., and A. Ionescu-Hirsch. 2009. A checklist of the ants of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 39: 33-55.
 * Wheeler W. M. and W. M. Mann. 1916. The ants of the Phillips Expedition to Palestine during 1914. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 167-174.
 * Wheeler W. M., and W. M. Mann. 1916. The ants of the Phillips Expedition to Palestine during 1914. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 167-174.