Trichomyrmex destructor ( Jerdon, 1851 )

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Mohamed, Amr A., Fisher, Brian L. & Aldawood, Abdulrahman S., 2020, A Preliminary Synopsis of the Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Qatar with Remarks on the Zoogeography, Annales Zoologici 70 (4), pp. 533-560 : 552

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).

Figures

Figure 24. Trichomyrmex destructor, worker, A, body in profile B, body in dorsal view C, head in full-face view, CASENT0910235 (Alexandra Westrich), www.AntWeb.org.