Messor eglalae 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 : 239-240

Messor eglalae Sharaf , n. sp.

Holotype: 1 worker, Egypt, Zaranik , North Sinai , 7.V.2003; N: 31.08; E: 33.48; M.R.Sharaf ; Paratype: 1 worker, Zaranik , North Sinai , 4.V.2003; N: 3 1.08; E: 33.48; M.R.Sharaf .

Measurements of Holotype: TL: 8.8; HL: 1.9; HW: 1.9; SL: 1.7; SI: 89.4; CI: 100

Type-locality: Egypt, Zaranik, North Sinai.

Diagnosis: (Figures 5, 6) Unicolorous black, tarsi, funiculus and mandibles reddish. Head as long as braod with dense granulate sculpture; the area between frontal carinae and infront and back of the eyes with longitudinal striations; the area adjacent to the antennal insertions with pale pubescence; underside of head with long J-shaped hairs; antennal scape with dense short hairs; mandibles edentate, shining, with strong longitudinal striae and few sparse short hairs; clypeus with reddish lateral parts and longitudinal striations; eyes relatively large; occiput straight with abundant pairs of short hairs. Alitrunk sides with strong granulate sculpture whereas its dorsum with strong irregular sculpture; propodeal spines short and abrupt; propodeal spiracles well developed; the whole alitrunk dorsum with abundant short yellow hairs. Petiole and postpetiole with very fine granulate sculpture and abundant hairs. Gaster smooth and shining, with abundant short yellow pilosity.

Affinities: This species cannot be separated from Bolton's key in (1982) on the Afrotropical Messor or from Collingwood and Agosti's key in (1996) on the Arabian Messor . It resembles M. muraywahus Collingwood & Agosti (1996) which was described from Saudi Arabia in the following characters: the first finicular segment distinclty longer than the second; first gaster tergite hairy with long pale hairs; occiput has four or five prjecting hairs at each side of the midline; genae below the eyes with few short projecting hairs. But differ from the mentioned species by the following characters: propodeum armed with two well developed and relatively long acute spines; subcephalic hairs more profuse forming a distinct psammophore; Petiole and postpetiole pilosity more abundant, eight pairs of hairs on the petiole and eleven pairs on the postpetiole.

Etymology: This species is named after the name of Mrs. Eglal H. El-Saadany (mother of the last author, Mostafa Sharaf).