Solenopsis bakri Sharaf, 2007

Fadl, H., Bakr, R. F. & Badawy, R. M., 2007, Six new species of ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Egypt., Proceedings of the 2 nd International Conference of the Entomological Society of Egypt 2, pp. 235-249 : 242-243

Solenopsis bakri Sharaf , n. sp.

Holotype: (1 worker, 1 ♀, 1 ♂), Egypt, Saloga Islands , Aswan, 2.V.2002; N:24.05; E:32.56; M.R.Sharaf ; Paratypes: 31 workers, 5 ♀, 7 ♂, same series as holotypes; 1 worker, Abu-Swelam (El-Minyia), 29.VI.2003; N: 28.06; E:30.45

Type-locality: Egypt, Saloga Islands, Aswan.

Measurements of Holotype: TL:1.64; HL:0.42; HW:0.31;SL:0.26;SI:87; BFP:0.12; DFP:0.09; CI:73.8

Diagnosis (Worker) (Figures 11, 12): Unicolorous yellow, smooth and shining; hairy species. Head clearly longer than broad with shallowly convex and nearly parallel sides, head dorsum smooth and shining with scattered hairpits; antennae with dense hairs and pubescence; the head in full-face view with the antennal scape, when laid back from their insertions, fails to reach the occipital margin; mandibles armed with 4 brown teeth; eyes very tiny composed of only a single ommatidium; occiput almost transverse, with about 5 pairs of hairs. Promesonotum in profile shallowly convex and sloping posteriorly to the narrow but conspicuously impressed mesopropodeal groove; basal face of propodeum forming an obtuse angle with the descending face and clearly longer than the latter; propodeal spiracles circular and relatively large; pilosity abundant on pronotum, mesonotum each with 3 pairs of hairs; propodeum with one or two pairs. Petiole with a dome like node and 3 pairs of long hairs; the petiolar ventral surface clearly convex. Postpetiole faintly sculptured and with 2 or 3 pairs of hairs. Gaster smooth, shining and with scattered yellow hairs.

(Queen) (Figures 13, 14) TL: 4.05; HL: 0.75; HW: 0.55; SL: 0.5; SI: 90.9; EL: 0.2; CI: 73.3

Bicolored species. Head, alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole brown; antennae, legs and gaster yellow; smooth and shining; hairy ant. Head clearly longer than broad, with abundant scattered long hairs on its dorsum; antennae with dense pubescence and hairs; the first half of the scape length thinner than the second half; the first funicular segement clearly longer than broad; mandibles with longitudinal striae and armed with 4 brown teeth; eyes relatively large; occeli well developed and with black dot adjacent to each ocellus; occiput shallowly conacve and fringed with 7 pairs of hairs. Alitrunk robust and hairy; the basal face of propodeum forming an angle with the descending face. Petiole and postpetiole with abundant long hairs. Postpetiole with fine granulate sculpture. Gaster smooth, shining and with abundant pilosity.

(Male) (Figures 15, 16) TL: 3.37; HL: 0.47; HW: 0.47; SL:.2; SI: 42.5; EL: 0.25; CI: 100

Unicolorous brown; antennae and legs yellow. Head as long as broad; eyes large occupying more than half of the head length; ocelli prominent; occiput strongly concave. Alitrunk hairy, robust and with a distinct mesopropodeal groove. Petiole anterior part with fine granulate sculpture. Gaster smooth and shining, with abundant long yellow hairs.

Affinities: This species is related to S. lou Forel , 1902 which was described from Algeria, both species have the basal face of propodeum forming an angle with the descending face but S. bakri differs by the following characters: eyes much tiny composed of only one ommatidium and the occiput is straight in full-face view.

Etymology: This species is named after the first author Dr. Reda F. Bakr, Professor of Entomology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo.