Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel 1890

Seifert, Bernhard, Okita, Ichiro & Heinze, Jürgen, 2017, A taxonomic revision of the Cardiocondyla nuda group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4290 (2), pp. 324-356 : 338-339

Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel 1890

Tab. 1

Cardiocondyla nuda var. mauritanica Forel 1890 : lxxv. Syntype workers: Tunisia, Gabes [ MHNG, antweb.org images of specimens CASENT0249873 and CASENT0908345] (examined: 5 worker syntypes and 4 gynes labelled " C. nuda r. mauritanica Forel , Kairouan 18 IX Santschi "). Raised to species: Ortiz & Tinaut 1987: 32.

Cardiocondyla ectopia Snelling 1974: 76 . Holotype worker, paratype workers, gynes, males: USA, California, Orange Co., Seal Beach [ LACM] (examined: 3 paratype workers and 2 paratype gynes labelled " CALIF., Orange Co. : Seal Beach, 0- 25' 17-UII-1972 R.R. Snelling No 72-9 " and " PARATYPE Cardiocondyla ectopia R.R. Snelling "). Synonymy by Seifert 2003: 248.

Leptothorax caparica Henin, Paiva & Collingwood 2002: 163 . Holotype worker, paratype workers: Portugal, Herdade da Apostica [ FSAG] (examined: holotype worker, labelled " Portugale, Sesimbra Herdade de Apostica 20.VI.2000 J-M Henin", "Henin; Paiva & Collingwood det 2001 Leptothorax caparica HOLOTYPE " and " HOLOTYPE "). Synonymy by Henin, Collingwood & Paiva, 2003: 377.

All material examined. A total of 71 nest samples with 147 workers were subject to NUMOBAT investigation. Four samples marked with "**" were not included in the multivariate exploratory data analyses of NUMOBAT data but their determination was clear by geographic indication alone.

Afghanistan: Kandahar : Kunar, 1953.01.22, [34.820, 71.104] ; Kandahar : Kunar, 1953.01.18, [34.820, 71.104] . Egypt: Assuan, pre 1940 (Karavajev), [24.09, 32.90]; EGY: Hurghada Gifthun, 1992.09.12, [27.19, 33.82] ; South Sinai: Mafareq, 1998.03.0 8, [29.0, 34.0] . Greece: Crete: Iraklion district , 1990.04, [35.3, 25.0] ; Crete: Zaros, 1992.05.xx, [35.11, 24.90] . India: Himachal Pradesh: Kullu- 20 km E, 1996.10.0 3, No 494, No xx, [32.00, 77.20] ; Himachal Pradesh: Kullu- 10 km N, 1996.10.xx, [32.00, 77.10] ; Panjab : Chandigarh, 1978.08.21, [30.70, 76.80]. Indonesia: Lombok, Senaru , 1999.12.21, No I7, [8.25, 116.28] . Iraq: Mesopotamia, 1918.10.18, [32.0, 46.0]. Iran: Basht, 1974.05.25, [30.36, 51.16]; Shiraz- 10 km SSW, 1997.09.14, [29.50, 52.49]; Shiraz- 16 km ESE, 1997.09.16, [29.52, 52.71]; Shiraz- 7 km NE, 1997.09.18, No 17, [29.63, 52.63]. Israel: Ein Yahaf, 1985.11.10, [30.66, 35.24]; Tal Yeroham, 1966.03.27, [31.00, 34.91]. Jordan: Hammamat Main, 1996.11.0 1, [31.60, 35.61]; Rum, 1996.11.0 7, [29.57, 35.42]. Libya: Tripolis, Dernah, 1906.08.xx, [32.87, 13.19]. Malta: Malta, 1984.xx.xx, [35.88, 14.45]; ** Gozo: Ta Çenç , 2003.06.19 (GenBank DQ 023069 ) [36.021, 14.251] . Morocco: Qued Draa- 24 km E, 1991.05.0 9, [30.80,-6.55]; Ait Ourir- 8 km E, 1995.05.0 9, [31.55, -7.58]; Zagora- 11 km S, 1998.05.29, [30.24, -5.82]. Oman: Kayma Desert, 1993.05.0 3, [21.0, 57.0]; Wahiba Sands, 1989.12.15, [22.0, 58.8]. Puerto Rico: Aguada, 1987.04.0 6, No 455, [18.38, -67.19] ; Aguada, 1987.04.0 6, No 462, [18.38, - 67.19]; Culebrita Island, 1991.10.0 2, [18.31, -65.23] : Isla Maria Langa, 1983.03.0 8, [17.97, -66.75]; Isla Culebra, 1982.08.26, [18.32, -65.29]; Lobos, 1983.10.12, [18.38;-65.57] ; Mona Island, 1982.07.0 3, [18.08, -67.89] : San Juan : Carolina, 1983.02.23, [18.38, -65.96] ; San Juan : Carolina, 1985.04.0 2, [18.38, -65.96] ; San Juan : Carolina, 1986.06.15, [18.38,-65.96]. Pakistan: Swat: Madyan, 1974.06.22, [35.14, 72.54] . Portugal: Montemor, 1991.07.xx, [38.82, -9.20]; Sesimbra , 2001.06.20, type Leptothorax caparica [38.44, -9.10]; ** Madeira, 2002.xx.xx, (GenBank DQ 023093 ) . Saudi Arabia: Qarina valley farm, 2009.11.0 5, No A 5, [25.13, 46.16]; Salboukh farm, 2009.11.0 5, No A 8, [25.08, 46.35] . Spain: ** Canaries : Isla Gomera, San Sebastian 2001.09.0 4 (GenBank AY909576 ) [28.0903, -17.1112] ; Canaries : Isla Hierro, 1989.03.0 3, [27.73, -17.99]; Canaries: Fuerteventura, 1989.12.xx, [28.36, -14.02] ; Canaries : Isla La Palma, 1990.04.0 5, [28.66, -17.850]; Canaries: Lanzarote: Costa Tanguise, 1988.xx.xx, [29.00, -13.63] ; Canaries: Tenerife: Puerto de la Cruz, 1999.xx.xx, No 87, [28.413,-16.545]; Granada: Motril, 1993.09.xx, [36.75, -3.52] ; Granada: Motril-2000.04.xx, No 1, No 4a, No 6, No 10, No 14, (GenBank DQ 023092 ) [36.75, -3.52] . Tunisia: Gabes, pre 1890.xx.xx (Forel), type C. mauritanica , [33.88, 10.09]; Hammamet- 80 km S, 1993.03.0 2, [36.41, 10.59] ; Kairouan, pre 1940 (coll. Santschi), [35.68, 10.10]. Turkey: Inkuma, 1984.06.12, [39.00, 36.00]; Incesu- 2 km N, 1997.05.xx, [38.44, 35.58] ; Mersin: Silifke- 15 km SE, 1993.05.29, [36.30, 34.04] . United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Park, 1995.03.xx, [24.44, 54.40]; Alain, Zoo, 1995.02xx, [24.22, 55.73] ; Dubai Municipality, 1998.xx.xx, [25.20, 55.28] . Ukraine: Crimea: Bachcysarai-SW, 1995.08.12, [44.67, 33.77] . United States of America: Arizona: Pinal, Gila River , 1995.05.25, [32.90, 11.30] ; California: Los Angeles Country, Downey, 1968.06.0 6, [33.92, 118.14] ; California: Los Angeles Country: Long Beach, 1967.09.19, [33.77, -118.19] ; California: Orange Country: Tustin, 1970.06.0 6, [33.75, - 117.83] ; California: Port Hueneme , 1985.03.21, [34.15, -119.20] ; California: Seal Beach , 1972.07.xx, paratype C. ectopia , [33.74, -118.107]; ** California: Sonoma Co., 2002.05.15 (GenBank DQ 023069 ) [38.283, -122.45] ; Florida: Bahia Honda, 1981.12.10, [24.674, -81.260].

Geographic range. For details, see Material examined. If the distributional centre is indicative, its native range is supposed to extend from India over Pakistan west to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The populations in the Canaries, the Nearctic and Indonesia were most probably founded by anthropogenous introduction. Partial sympatry with C. itsukii sp. nov. is observed in the Oriental region but C. mauritanica apparently has difficulties penetrating the Indo-Malayan ranges occupied by the other species of the group and it seems to be fully absent from the Australasian and Polynesian faunal regions.

Diagnosis. see key.

Biology. C. mauritanica is mainly a species of semi-deserts and other xerothermous habitats and the most widely distributed tramp species of the C. nuda group. Mating is strictly intranidal and colonies are polygynous ( Heinze et al. 1993), traits considered preadaptations for the tramp species strategy. Winged males are unknown, wingless ergatoid males use their shear-shaped mandibles to crush the cuticle and to cut off the legs and antennae of other freshly emerged males ( Heinze et al. 1993).

Comments. The synonymies stated above are very clear. The five paratype workers of C. mauritanica , three paratype workers of C. ectopia and the holotype of Leptothorax caparica are allocated to the C. mauritanica cluster with p=1.0000, 1.0000 and 0.9999 respectively when run as wild-cards in a LDA considering all 16 characters.