Monomorium brunneolucidulum

In their brief original description of the enigmatic species M. brunneolucidulum from Oman, Collingwood & Agosti (1996) neither gave successful diagnostic characters nor illustrations for species recognition. In addition, the type-material is apparently lost. Due to a lack of type material and species diagnostic characters, it is impossible to confirm the identity of the species. Until the type material of this species is available we prefer to treat it as a nomen dubium (Sharaf et al., 2021).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 * . Monomorium brunneolucidulum Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 343 (w.) OMAN.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 5 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Oman: Qarhat Mu’ammar, 2.ii.1986 (M.D. Gallagher); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: unknown (possibly in WMLC, possibly in OMHN if Gallagher material has been retained there).
 * Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 116.
 * Distribution: Oman.

Worker
Holotype: TL 2.30; HL 0.70; HW 0.53; 5L 0.61; CI 75.7; SI 115; EL/HW 0.28.

In this species the mandibles are smooth with scattered hair pits unlike the species discussed so far. It appears to have some affinities with Monomorium oscaris (=Trichomyrmex oscaris) as well as the larger-eyed species of the Monomorium altinode complex. The clypeal ridges project over the mildly concave anterior border. The antennal scapes are long and reach over the occipital margin. The promesonotum is convex and rounds steeply to the mesopropodeal furrow and the propodeum is also strongly convex. The petiole is slightly wider than long in dorsal view, a rounded triangle in side view. There is one pair of occipital hairs, none on the pronotum, one pair of long hairs on the mesonotum plus a few short raised pubescent hairs. The petiole has one pair, the postpetiole three pairs and the first gastral tergite has ten pairs. The head is almost unsculptured with a slight reticulum and a few striae on the frons. The head, pronotum and gaster are brilliant with the mesopropodeum and nodes slightly more sculptured. The head and alitrunk are bright chocolate brown and the gaster dark brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * 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