Monomorium damarense

Commonly collected in more open habitats, e.g., grassland, savanna and Bushveld.

Identification
Bolton (1987) - The extremely reduced dorsal pilosity coupled with the relatively strong cephalic sculpture and long scapes render this Namibian and Botswanan species easily recognisable. Namibian samples uniformly lack hairs on the first gastral tergite in front of the apical row, but a short series from Serowe in Botswana has a single short pair at about the midlength of the sclerite. Whether this series should be regarded as a separate species cannot be decided at present because of shortage of material with which to assess the stability of the character.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Botswana, Namibia.

Nomenclature

 *  damarense. Monomorium salomonis subsp. damarense Forel, 1910f: 17 (w.) NAMIBIA. Raised to species and senior synonym of unicolor: Bolton, 1987: 340. See also: Santschi, 1936a: 39.
 * unicolor. Monomorium salomonis var. unicolor Stitz, 1923: 156 (w.) NAMIBIA. Junior synonym of damarense: Bolton, 1987: 340.

Worker
Bolton (1987) - TL 2.2-2.8, HL 0.58-0.68, HW 0.42-0.51, CI 72-75, SL 0.48-0.59, SI 110-116, PW 0.29-0.34, AL 0.66-0.80 (12 measured).

Median portion of clypeus with anterior margin transverse to shallowly concave. Maximum diameter of eye 0.27-0.31 x HW, with 7-9 ommatidia in the longest row. Scapes relatively long (SI > 105), longer than any other species included in the australe-complex. Metanotal groove feebly impressed in profile. 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 minute appressed pubescence but usually without hairs except for the apical transverse row. Dorsum of head opaque, blanketed with very fine and dense reticulate-shagreenate to striolate-punctulate or granulate-punctulate sculpture; close to the occipital margin the sculpture may appear feebly reticulate-punctulate. Pronotal dorsum finely reticulate, the sculpture becoming more intense posteriorly on the dorsal alitrunk so that the propodeum is superficially reticulate-punctulate. First gastral tergite with superficial reticular patterning, which is overlaid by fine shagreening basally. Colour light brown to medium brown.

Type Material
Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, Namibia: Damaraland, Gawieb (L. Schultze) [examined].