Aenictus arabicus Sharaf & Aldawood

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Aldawood, Abdulrahman S. & El-Hawagry, Magdi S., 2012, First record of the ant subfamily Aenictinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia, with the description of a new species, ZooKeys 228, pp. 39-49 : 40

Aenictus arabicus Sharaf & Aldawood sp. n. Figs 1-12

Holotype worker.

Saudi Arabia, Al Baha-Mukhwah Aqaba RD,19.IV.2012, 20.00000°N, 41.43758°E, 1300 m, 19.IV.2012 (M. R. Sharaf leg.); deposited in the KSMA.

Paratype workers.

21 workers, same data as holotype; 1 deposited in MHNG (Dr Bernhard Merz); 1 deposited in NHMB (Mrs. Isabelle Zürcher-Pfander); 2 deposited in CASC (Dr Brian Fisher); 2 deposited in MCZC (Prof. E. O. Wilson); 2 deposited in SEMC (Prof. Michael S. Engel); 1 deposited in WMLC (Mr. Tony Hunter), 1 deposited in BMNH (Mr. Barry Bolton); the remaining specimens in KSMA (M. R. Sharaf).

Measurements.

Holotype: TL 3.0, HL 0.65, HW 0.52, SL 0.50, PRW 0.35, ML 0.95, PL 0.22, PW 0.15, PPL 0.17, PPW 0.15. Indices: SI 96, CI 80.

Paratypes.

TL 2.75-3.12, HL 0.60-0.72, HW 0.42-0.55, SL 0.40-0.52, PRW 0.20-0.35, ML 0.77-1.00, PL 0.22-0.27, PW 0.12-0.15, PPL 0.15-0.20, PPW 0.12-0.17. Indices: SI 77-104, CI 70-92. (n=11).

Description of worker.

Head entirely smooth and shining. In full-face view head distinctly longer than broad, with convex sides and nearly straight posterior margin; occipital corners in lateral view rounded; anterior clypeal margin with six small denticles; masticatory margin of mandibles armed with a large apical tooth followed by five smaller subequal teeth and a relatively larger basal tooth; when laid back, antennal scapes surpassing about two thirds of head length; all funicular segments at least twice as long as broad; terminal funicular segment about 2.5 × as long as the proceeding segment; mandibles dull with longitudinal striations; whole head dorsum and antennae with stiff scattered long hairs. Mesosoma in dorsal view broader anteriorly than posteriorly; promesonotum in profile distinctly convex, bearing many pairs of hairs; metanotal groove distinct; mesopleuron faintly but distinctly imbricate; propodeum bare or in some individuals with very sparse decumbent pubescence; propodeal dorsum long, about 4 × as long as declivity; propodeum in profile slightly lower than promesonotum and almost flat dorsally; propodeal junction rounded. Petiole longer than broad in dorsal view with node clearly convex in lateral view; subpetiolar process triangular with convex ventral margin and blunt anteriorly. Postpetiole distinctly smaller than petiole, its node roundly convex, and its anteroventral edge sharp and bearing many hairs; both petiole and postpetiole distinctly imbricate and equipped dorsally with several pairs of backward directed long hairs. Gaster smooth and shining with abundant pairs of hairs. Color uniformly yellow.

Etymology.

This species is named after the type locality.