Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel, 1902)

Fig. 51

Monomorium (Parholcomyrmex) gracillimum var. mayri Forel, 1902: 209 (w) India. Indomalaya, lectotype worker, CASENT0249904 (MHNG).

Diagnosis

Unicolorous dark brown or black-brown; posterior margin of head transversely striolate; promesonotum in profile nearly flat or weakly convex; propodeal dorsum with transverse fine and dense sculpture. Trichomyrmex mayri looks similar to T. destructor (Jerdon, 1851), from which it can be separated only by the unicolorous body; T. destructor has head, mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole yellow to brown yellow, gaster dark brown.

Material examined

OMAN – Dhofar • 9 w; Ayn Sahlanot; 17.147° N, 54.180° E; alt. 134 m; 16 Nov. 2017; BS; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 9 w; Ayn Hamran; 17.086° N, 54.280° E; alt. 56 m; 22 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 17 w; Ayn Sahlanot; 17.148° N, 54.179° E; alt. 151 m; 16 Nov. 2017; SW; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 1 w; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT0922869; CASC • 4 w; Ayn Hamran; 17.100° N, 54.284° E; alt. 106 m; 20 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 9 w; Dhalkout; 16.707° N, 53.251° E; alt. 34 m; 19 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 2 w; Salalah; 17.019° N, 54.065° E; alt. 9 m; 18 Nov. 2017; BS; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 2 w; Dhalkout Road, Aghbaroot Village; 16.798° N, 53.554° E; alt. 1034 m; 18 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 21 w; Ayn Dirbat; 17.106° N, 54.453° E; alt. 207 m; 17 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 6 w; Ayn Ashat; 16.998° N, 53.820° E; alt. 202 m; 21 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 14 w; Ayn Hamran; 17.086° N, 54.280° E; alt. 56 m; 22 Nov. 2017; SF; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA • 6 w; Ayn Razat; 17.124° N, 54.238° E; alt. 98 m; 20 Nov. 2017; BS; M.R. Sharaf leg.; KSMA .

Ecological and biological notes

This species has diverse nesting habits that include soil, under stones, in leaf litter, under barks, and in rotten wood and fruits (Sharaf et al. 2016b, 2017c, 2018a) which may explain the wide geographical distribution in the Arabian Peninsula. This species is often found in areas with the following plants species: Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck ( Rutaceae Juss.), mango tree, Mangifera indica L. ( Anacardiaceae R.Br.), Myoporum insulare R.Br. ( Scrophulariaceae Juss.), Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl. ( Cupressaceae Gray), Psidium guajava L. ( Myrtaceae Juss.), Coffea arabica L. ( Rubiaceae Juss.), Eragrostis Wolf. ( Poaceae Barnhart), Cochliasanthus caracalla (L.) Trew ( Fabaceae), Boswellia sacra Flück. ( Burseraceae Kunth), date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. ( Arecaceae Bercht. & J.Presl), and Vachellia sp. (Sharaf et al. 2016b, 2017c, 2018a).

Geographic range

Trichomyrmex mayri was originally described from India and has widely been introduced or dispersed into several countries in the Palearctic (Sharaf et al. 2016b) and the Afrotropical (Bolton 1987) Regions. The species has been previously recorded from the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood 1985; Collingwood & Agosti 1996; Sharaf et al. 2013, 2016b), the Socotra Archipelago (Collingwood et al. 2004; Sharaf et al. 2017c), Egypt (Sharaf 2006), and Palestine (Vonshak & Ionescu-Hirsch 2009). This species was collected in Dhofar by Collingwood (1985).