Meranoplus mosalahi Sharaf, 2019

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 : 52-55

Meranoplus mosalahi Sharaf, 2019

Fig. 33

Meranoplus mosalahi Sharaf, 2019 in Sharaf & Aldawood 2019: 6 (w) Oman. Afrotropic.

Diagnosis

Head, and gaster brown, antennae, mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole pale brown, legs yellow; anterior clypeal margin feebly concave or straight with one pair of reduced teeth; scrobe narrowly visible in full-face view; cephalic surface to posterior level of eyes with irregular interrupted longitudinal rugae; cephalic surface with distinct fine ground sculpture between rugae; anterior face of petiolar node smooth; posterior face feebly sculptured with about five longitudinal rugae.

Material examined

OMAN – Dhofar • w, holotype; Dhalkout ; 16.707° N, 53.251° E; alt. 34 m; 19 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; CASENT0845901; KSMA • 12 w, paratypes; same collection data as for holotype; KSMA •

1 aberrant worker with reduced postpetiole; same collection data as for holotype; KSMA • 1 w; same collection data as for holotype; WMLC • 1 w; same collection data as for holotype; CASENT0922861; CASC • 3 w; Agdaroot ; 17.089° N, 54.442° E; 18 Nov. 2017; SW; A. Mostafa leg.; KSMA .

Ecological and biological notes

Meranoplus mosalahi inhabits shaded areas in Dhalkoout forests with ample small shrubs and grasses. Workers of this species are slow moving and forage on the ground where the soil is moderately moist (Sharaf & Aldawood 2019).

Geographic range

Meranoplus mosalahi is endemic to Oman.

Figures

Fig. 33. Meranoplus mosalahi Sharaf, 2019, paratype, worker (CASENT0922861,AntWeb.org (Michele Esposito)). A. Body in profile. B. Head in full-face view. C. Distribution map.