Crematogaster chiarinii Emery

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Aldawood, Abdulrahman S. & Garcia, Francisco Hita, 2019, Review of the Arabian Crematogaster Lund (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), synoptic list, distribution, and description of two new species from Oman and Saudi Arabia, ZooKeys 898, pp. 27-81 : 27

Crematogaster chiarinii Emery Figure 12 A–C

Taxonomic history.

Crematogaster chiarinii Emery, 1881: 271, fig. (w.) Ethiopia: Forel 1892: 353 (q., m.).

Combination in Crematogaster ( Crematogaster) : Wheeler 1922: 835; in Crematogaster (Acrocoelia) : Emery 1922: 146; in Crematogaster ( Crematogaster) : Bolton 1995: 166.

Current subspecies: C. chiarinii aethiops, C. chiarinii bayeri, C. chiarinii cincta, C. chiarinii nigra, C. chiarinii sellula, C. chiarinii subsulcata, C. chiarinii taediosa, C. chiarinii v-nigra.

Crematogaster chiarinii var. affabilis Forel, 1907b: 142 (w.) Somalia. Syn. nov.

Combination in Crematogaster (Acrocoelia) : Emery 1922: 146; in Crematogaster ( Crematogaster) : Bolton 1995: 166.

Material examined.

KSA: Al Baha Province: Elqamh park, Baljurshi, 19.913056N, 41.905E, 1931 m, 17.v.2010 (Sharaf MR) (12 w, KSMA); Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn village, 19.929417N, 41.441722E, 741 m, 18.v.2011 (Sharaf MR) (19 w, KSMA); Al Mukhwah, Dhi Ayn village, 19.929417N, 41.441722E, 741 m, 15.v.2011 (Sharaf MR) (4 w, KSMA); W. Elzaraeb (Kheir), 20.073417N, 41.38675E, 2123 m, 15.v.2010 (Sharaf MR) (3 w, KSMA); Amadan, Almandaq, 20.245278N, 41.468333E, 1881 m, 19.v.2010 (Sharaf MR) (3 w, KSMA); Al Baha city, 20.014533N, 41.4674E, 2172 m, 16.v.2010 (Sharaf MR) (3 w, KSMA); W. Jallah, 20.134472N, 41.342889E, 1912 m, 16.v.2011 (Sharaf MR) (15 w, 6 q, 6 m, KSMA); AlUrdyia gov., W. Gonouna, 19.429361N, 41.605028E, 353 m, 12.v.2011 (Sharaf MR) (3 w, KSMA); W. Turabah, Almandaq, 20.211028N, 41.288222E, 1793 m, 10.v.2011 (Sharaf MR) (21 w, KSMA); W. Turabah, Almandaq, 20.241917N, 41.262833E, 1751 m, 19.ix.2011 (Sharaf MR) (1 w with broken waist and gaster, KSMA); Baljurshi forest, 19.80559N, 41.71198E, 1930 m, 21.ix.2011 (FA Esteve) (2 w, KSMA); AlTawla (Al Baha-Taif RD), W. Bawah, 20.7496N, 41.247433E, 1310 m, 08.xi.2012 (Sharaf MR) (10 w, KSMA); W. Dafa near Eiban, 17.37463N, 43.07539E, 888 m, 12.xi.2012 (Sharaf MR) (7 w, KSMA); Asir province: Khamis Mushayt, W. Bishah, 18.333639N, 42.703583E, 1990 m, 27.iv.2011 (Sharaf MR) (4 w, KSMA); Abha, 18.2465N, 42.5117E, 25.iii.1983 (Collingwood CA) (9 w, WMLC); Ashaira, 21.7575N, 40.651944E, 1340 m, 14-15.ix.1980 (Collingwood CA) (1 w, WMLC); Ashaira, 21.7575N, 40.651944E, 1340m, 06-10.v.1936 (H. St. J. B. Philby, B.M.1936-405) (2 w, BMNH). Asir Province: Khamis Mushayt, W. Ben Hashbal, 18.594806N, 42.650361E, 26.iv.2011 (Sharaf MR) (18 w, KSMA); Khamis Mushayt, 18.3093N, 42.7662E, x.1997 (C. W. Mills) (2 w, WMLC); W. Saber, 20.18N, 41.1665E, 06.iii.2013 (Sharaf MR) (4 w, KSMA); Najran province: Najran city, 17.49590N, 44.12922E, 1323 m, 21.ii.2015 (S Salman) (3 w, KSMA); Najran, 17.5656N, 44.2289E, 25.iii.1983 (Collingwood CA) (2 w, WMLC); Fayfa, 17.29691N, 43.135E, iii.1983 (Collingwood CA) (25 w, WMLC). Yemen: Taiz (y529), 13.5776N, 44.0178E, x.1991 (A van Harten) (3 w, WMLC); W. Surdud, 15.266667N, 43.716667E, xii.1991 (A van Harten) (1 w, WMLC); Mabar, 14.7953N, 44.2905E, viii.1992 (A van Harten) (1 w, 1256, WMLC); W. Al Barahani, 13.3042N, 44.1003E, ii.1992 (M. Mahyoub) (1 w,1001, WMLC); Khazam, 13.49N, 43.84E, 1950 m, ix.1979 (B. Lanza) (2 w, WMLC); Taiz, Maagala, 13.5776N, 44.0178E, ii.1993 (A van Harten) (15 w, 983, WMLC); Rehab, 14.23N, 44.19E, iii.1992 (A van Harten) (8 w, 1088, WMLC); Rehab, 14.23N, 44.19E, iv.1993 (M. Knapp) (18 w, 1999, WMLC); Suq Bani Mansur, 14.59646N, 43.594325E, iv.1991 (M. Knapp) (10 w, 191, WMLC); Taiz, 15.266667N, 43.716667E, ii.1992 (M. Knapp) (20 w, 1006, WMLC); Zingibar, 13.135N, 45.3886E, iii.1993 (20 w, in tube, WMLC); Sana’a, 15.3694N, 44.191E, 11-18.iii.1937 (Dr. Carl Rathiens,B.M.1938-396) (1 w, BMNH); W.Aden Port,Al Huseini near Lahej, 13.0578N, 44.8833E, 29.xi.1937 (B.M. Expedition to S.W. Arabia, H. Scott & E. B. Britton. B.M.1933-246) (1 w, BMNH). Oman: W. Dhiyan, 19.7314N, 41.4219E, 13-14.ix.1983 (M. D. Gallagher) (1 w, WMLC); Dhofar, 17.0194N, 54.1108E, 04.ix.1985 (R. W. Whitcomb) (9 w, WMLC); Fasad (Dhofar), 18.4333N, 53.1333E, ii.1998 (M. D. Gallagher) (1 q, WMLC).

Geographic range.

This species was originally described from Ethiopia and is widely distributed in the Afrotropical region. It seems to be a predominantly eastern African species but is also known from Central and South Africa ( Guénard et al. 2017; Janicki et al. 2017). From the Arabian Peninsula, the species has been recorded from the southwestern mountains of the KSA and Oman ( Wheeler 1922; Borowiec 2014; Collingwood 1985, Collingwood and Agosti 1996) ( Fig. 13 ).

Remarks.

Crematogaster affabilis was originally described as a variety of C. chiarinii but subsequently elevated to species rank by Collingwood (1985) based on head width, length of the propodeal spines, and absence of the mesonotal tubercle. During the present study the type material of C. chiarinii and C. affabilis (MHNG) were examined and detailed morphological examinations of the type material shows that both are uniformly brown with the anterior half of the cephalic surface longitudinally striated; the frontal triangle is well-defined with a distinct posterior carina running back to the posterior level of the eyes; the propodeal spines long and acute, about 1.5 × longer than their base, making an angle of about 45 with the longitudinal axis of the body in profile view; and, the mesonotum in profile descending abruptly to a deep metanotal groove. The type of C. affabilis is somewhat larger but not more than major workers in both species are from minor workers. Consequently, even though both taxa are outside the focal region of Arabia, on the basis of any lack of significant phenotypical differences, we propose C. chiarinii as a senior synonym of C. affabilis .

Nevertheless, despite our synonymizing of both taxa, the taxonomic condition of C. chiarinii is still in need of a thorough revision. The taxonomic history above with all status changes, synonymic history, and numerous still valid infraspecific taxa shows clearly the complexity of this task. Based on superficial examination of material from the Afrotropical region, we are doubtful that the material from East Africa might remain conspecific with the one from Central and South Africa. Hopefully, a future revision of the Afrotropical fauna will resolve this situation.

Figures

Figure 12. C. chiarinii A body in profile B body in dorsal view C head in full-face view, CASENT 0263878 (Will Ericson), www. AntWeb. org.

Figure 13. Distribution map of C. chiarinii.