Cataglyphis laylae Collingwood, 2011

Cedric A. Collingwood, Donat Agosti, Mostafa R. Sharaf & Antonius van Harten, 2011, Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE 4, pp. 1-70 : 54

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.1168586
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6193761
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1A4C094D-3738-FFE3-ED4F-A4941AB9EBB5
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cataglyphis laylae Collingwood
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cataglyphis laylae Collingwood nov. spec.

Plates 96–103 View Plates 96–97 View Plates 98–100 View Plates 101–102 View Plate 103

Cataglyphis desertorum Forel, 1894 , teste Collingwood, 1985; unavailable name according to Agosti (1990).

Specimens examined: Holotype: 1 ☿, United Arab Emirates, al-Ain [24°13'N 55°46'E], iii.1995, leg. C.A. Collingwood (MHNG). Paratypes: 3 ☿, al-Ain zoo, 13.iii.2005, CAC. 1 ☿, Remah, 9.iii.1995, CCA. 3 ☿, Remah, resthouse, 250 m, irrigated sand dune [24°10'37"N 55°18'6"E], 18.iii.1995, leg. D. Agosti. 6 ☿, Remah, resthouse, 250 m, irrigated sand dune, nest with one entrance, [24°10'37"N, 55°18'6"E], 18.iii.1995, leg. D. Agosti. 1 ☿, Sharjah Desert Park, 5–6.x.2004, AvH; 1 ☿, 3.iii.2005, CAC. 1 ☿, al- Za'aba, 100 m, sandy soil with Rhaisa stricta [23°43'20"N, 55°33'49"E], 22.iii.1995, leg. D. Agosti.

Description: A large worker from al-Ain was selected as holotype. The measurements are as follows: total length 8.40; head width 3.60; head length 4.20; scape length 3.84; funicular segment I 0.40; funicular segment II 0.23; petiole length 1.10; petiole width 0.72. Colour dark reddish brown. There are no exterior hairs on the scapes or hind tibia. The gaster, petiole and propodeum have dorsal hairs.

Remarks: This species thought to correspond with C. desertorum has to be described as a new species. In fact it is one of the commonest Cataglyphis in southern Arabia. The main distinguishing feature compared with other dark Cataglyphis is the slender petiole, which has the anterior face more sloped than in other similar species such as C. niger (André, 1882) and C. savignyi (Dufour, 1862).

Biology: Cataglyphus laylae nov. spec. does not appear to occur in open sandy desert and is most abundant in disturbed habitats such as man-developed plantations and open cultivated fields.

Distribution: This species was recorded by Collingwood (1985) as C. desertorum from Saudi Arabia and Oman and as Cataglyphis spec. by Collingwood & Agosti (1996).

Etymology: The new species is named after a village settlement called “Layla”, just north of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) in the area where the author (CAC) first encountered it in numbers in an Acacia plantation.