Tapinoma wilsoni Sharaf & Aldawood

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Aldawood, Abdulrahman S. & ElHawagry, Magdi S., 2012, A new ant species of the genus Tapinoma (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia with a key to the Arabian species, ZooKeys 212, pp. 35-43 : 37-39

Tapinoma wilsoni Sharaf & Aldawood sp. n. Figs 13

Holotype worker.

Saudi Arabia, Al Baha, Al Sarawat Mountains, Dhi Ayn Archaeological Village, 19.92972oN, 41.44278oE, 741 m, 15.v.2011 (M. R. Sharaf Leg.); deposited in the King Saud Museum of Arthropods, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Paratype workers.

29 workers, same locality as holotype, deposited as follows: 1 in MHNG (Dr Bernhard Merz); 1 in NHMB (Mrs. Isabelle Zürcher-Pfander); 1 in CASC (Dr Brian Fisher); 1 in MCZC (Dr Stefan Cover); 2 in WMLC (Tony Hunter), 1 in BMNH (Mr. Barry Bolton); 1 in SEMC (Prof. Michael S. Engel) the remaining specimens in KSMA (M. R. Sharaf).

Additional paratype workers.

Saudi Arabia, Al Baha, Dhi Ayn Archaeological Village, 19.92976°N, 41.44187°E ± 50 m, 23.ix.2011 (B.L. Fisher Leg.) 4 deposited in CASC.

Measurements.

Holotype: TL: 1.84, HL: 0.51, HW: 0.41, SL: 0.46, PW: 0.29, WL: 0.56, EL: 0.11. Indices: CI: 80, SI: 112, OI: 27, EPI: 71, DTI: 134.

Paratypes: TL: 1.56-1.84, HL: 0.49-0.53, HW: 0.36-0.42, SL: 0.35-0.51, PW: 0.25-0.31, WL: 0.49-0.63, EL: 0.09-0.14. Indices: CI: 73-84, SI: 105-133, OI: 22-33, EPI: 67-82, DTI: 114-145 (11 measured).

Description of worker.

Head distinctly longer than broad with feebly convex posterior margin and sides; anterior clypeal margin broadly and distinctly concave; scapes, in full-face view, surpassing posterior margin of head by about 1/6 of its length; all funicular segments clearly longer than broad; eyes relatively large (OI 22-33) with 8 ommatidia in the longest row; mandibles large, armed with two distinct apical teeth followed by two smaller teeth, the third tooth being smaller than the fourth; the remaining masticatory margin equipped with several indistinct and tiny denticles; mandibles with several long yellow hairs; head pilosity a fine, whitish, appressed pubescence; promesonotum in profile straight or feebly convex; metanotal groove indistinct; propodeum in profile with the transition from dorsum to declivity sharply defined, the declivity concave and the angle with a raised apex; body pilosity restricted to two pairs of setae on dorsum of head, located close to antennal insertions and at the level of the anterior eye margin, none on mesosoma, one pair on second and third gastral tergites (absent in some individuals), apex of gaster with several pairs of long hairs; body very finely and densely shagreenate; mesosoma dull, head and gaster more or less shining. Color brownish yellow or yellowish with very faint brownish tint on dorsum of head, appendages clear yellow.

Etymology.

A patronymic name honors Prof. Edward O. Wilson in recognition of his valuable contribution to the science of myrmecology over several decades.

The following key separates the members of the genus Tapinoma hitherto known from the Arabian Peninsula, including Tapinoma wilsoni .

Key to the Arabian species of the genus Tapinoma