Tetramorium salwae, Mohamed, S., Zalat, S. & Fadl, H., 2001

Mohamed, S., Zalat, S. & Fadl, H., 2001, Taxonomy of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) collected by pitfall traps from Sinai and Delta region, Egypt., Egyptian Journal of Natural History 3, pp. 40-61 : 55-56

Tetramorium salwae n. sp.

Description: Body length 3.2mm, dark brown in colour, alitrunk dorsum dark brown with lateral sides yellowish brown legs yellowish brown; head with slightly concave occiput, sides moderately curved, shining and smooth with many hair pits anterior to occiput, with superficial, longitudinal sculptures anterior and below to eyes; antennae with dense hairs, first funiculus segment longer than the second and third segment together, third, fourth and fifth funiculus segments wider than long, mandibles striated with five blunt teeth and faint pubescence, anterior border of clypeus with about 3 long hairs projecting over mandibles; alitrunk shining with longitudinal sculptures in lateral and dorsal sides except mesonotum which is smooth, pronotum with several pairs of hairs, propodeum without any projecting hairs, propodeal spines reduced to short and blunt tubercles; legs with fine pubescence; petiole dorsum weakly sculptured with 2 pairs of hairs; postpetiole dorsum smooth and shining with 4 pairs of hairs, broader than long; gaster shining with numerous hairs.

Note: This species is very close to T. juba Collingwood (1985), but distinguished from it by sculptured alitrunk which is smooth in T. jub Collingwood.

World distribution: Egypt.

Distribution in Egypt: Sinai.

Material examined: Sahab: 1.III. 1998 (1), 2.V.1998 (1), 18.II.1999 (3). Type locality: Sinai, Southern Sinai, Sahab , N: 28°.43`02. & E: 33°.46'.79., 18.11.1999 Number of individuals: 5 (Ain Coll.).

Etomology: This species was named after Dr. Salwa Kamal Mohamed, Professor of Taxonomy, Ain Shams University, Egypt.