Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerdon, 1851)

(Fig. 24 A–C)

Atta destructor Jerdon, 1851: 105 (w.) India. Indomalaya.

Diagnosis. Worker. Posterior margin of head transversely striolate in dorsal view; promesonotum in profile nearly flat or weakly convex; propodeal dorsum in a continuous curve with propodeal declivity; transverse sculpture of propodeal dorsum fine and dense; pilosity of mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster short and weakly curved.

Trichomyrmex destructor is closest to T. mayri, from which it can be distinguished only by its bicolored body. Its head, mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole are yellow to brown-yellow, and its gaster dark brown to black, whereas T. mayri is unicolorous dark brown or black-brown.

Material examined. Qatar, Al Dhakira Park, 07.iii, 2005, 25°43’N, 51°32’E, (M.S. Abdel-Dayem leg.), 4w; Doha, no locality, 17.iii.2005, (M.S. Abdel-Dayem leg.), 8w, (KSMA) .

Geographic distribution. A species originally described from India, and is broadly spread in tropical and subtropical regions (Wetterer 2009). The species is originated in central Asia but has been distributed by human commerce to tropical and subtropical regions (Wetterer 2009) and extending to southern Europe (Ruzsky 1907) and North America. The species is known from most countries of the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood 1985, Collingwood and Agosti 1996), and the Socotra Archipelago (Collingwood et al. 2004, Sharaf et al. 2017). More information on species distribution is given by Wetterer (2009).

Ecological and biological notes. This successful invasive species can invade a broad range of habitats including highly polluted sites (Wetterer 2009). In the KSA, this species builds nests in humid soil under stones in wild sites where Acacia, date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. ( Arecaceae), and Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton (Asclepiadaceae) trees exist (Sharaf et al. 2016).