Brachyponera sennaarensis ( Mayr, 1862 )

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Wetterer, James K., Mohamed, Amr A. & Aldawood, Abdulrahman S., 2022, Faunal composition, diversity, and distribution of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Dhofar Governorate, Oman, with updated list of the Omani species and remarks on zoogeography, European Journal of Taxonomy 838 (1), pp. 1-106 : 86

Brachyponera sennaarensis ( Mayr, 1862)

Fig. 53

Ponera sennaarensis Mayr, 1862: 721 (w) Sudan. Afrotropic.

Diagnosis

Body dark brown to black-brown, tibiae, antennae, and tarsi red; head broader than mesosoma; metanotal groove well-impressed; petiolar node high and thick; first and second gastral tergites separated by a distinct constriction; sting powerful; body surfaces covered with dense pubescence.

Material examined

OMAN – Dhofar • 5 w; Ayn Razat ; 17.124° N, 54.238° E; alt. 98 m; 20 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 5 w; Ayn Hamran ; 17.086° N, 54.280° E; alt. 6 m; 22 Nov. 2017; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 2 w; Ayn Razat ; 17.130° N, 54.236° E; alt. 121 m; 20 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 6 w; Dhalkout ; 16.707° N, 53.251° E; alt. 34 m; 19 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 1 w; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT0922868; CASC • 5 w; Dhalkout ; 16.705° N, 53.24453° E; alt. 43 m; 18 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 5 w; Ayn Dirbat ; 17.106° N, 54.453° E; alt. 207 m; 17 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 6 w; Dhalkout ; 16.693° N, 53.156° E; alt. 628 m; 18 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 1 w; Ayn Hamran ; 17.100° N, 54.284° E; alt. 106 m; 20 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 3 w; Salalah ; 17.019° N, 54.065° E; alt. 9 m; 18 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 1 w; Dhalkout Road, Aghbaroot Village ; 16.798° N, 53.554° E; alt. 1034 m; 18 Nov. 2017; HP; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA .

Ecological and biological notes

Brachyponera sennaarensis inhabits a wide range of habitats in the Arabian Peninsula, associated with moist soil and leaf litter around date palm trees, under rocks, logs, or beneath debris near human settlements, in manicured parks, backyards of homes and agricultural production areas ( Collingwood 1985; Collingwood & Agosti 1996; Sharaf et al. 2017c, 2018a). The species is generalized forager, feeding on seeds or on other ants ( Dejean & Lachaud 1994).

Geographic range

A species described originally from Sudan, B. sennaarensis is widely distributed throughout Africa and the Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula ( Collingwood 1985; Collingwood & Agosti 1996; Collingwood et al. 2011) and the Socotra Archipelago ( Sharaf et al. 2017c). Brachyponera sennaarensis was collected in Dhofar by Collingwood (1985).

Figures

Fig. 53. Brachyponera sennaarensis (Mayr, 1862), worker (CASENT0922868, AntWeb.org (Michele Esposito)). A. Body in profile. B. Head in full-face view. C. Distribution map.