scholarly journals The genus Lepisiota Santschi, 1926 of the Arabian Peninsula with the description of a new species, Lepisiota elbazi sp. nov. from Oman, an updated species identification key, and assessment of zoogeographic affinities

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 127-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Abdulrahman Saad Aldawood ◽  
Amr A. Mohamed ◽  
Francisco Hita Garcia

This study updates and summarizes information on the taxonomy and status of the Arabian Lepisiota fauna. We describe and illustrate the new species Lepisiota elbazisp. nov. from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman based on the worker caste. The new species is closest to the Arabian species, L. arabica Collingwood, 1985 from the southwestern mountains of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and can be separated by having fewer body hairs (two pairs on the posterior margin of the head, two or three pairs on the promesonotum and, one or two pairs on the first gastral tergite), the longer head, scapes, and propodeal spines, and the shorter mesosoma. We present the first illustrated key to the worker caste of the Arabian species of Lepisiota using stacked digital color images to facilitate species determination. The new species is probably endemic to the Dhofar Governorate and seems rare. An up-to-date synoptic checklist of 21 species representing the Arabian Lepisiota Santschi, 1926 is emended based upon the most recent literature in ant systematics. Five species are excluded from the Arabian Lepisiota fauna, L. arenaria (Arnold, 1920), L. erythraea (Forel, 1910), L. incisa (Forel, 1913), L. sericea (Forel, 1892a), and L. simplex (Forel, 1892) for issues related to previous species misidentification. Lepisiota carbonaria (Emery, 1892) is proposed as a senior synonym of L. depilis (Emery, 1897) syn. nov. The faunal composition of Lepisiota species recorded from the Arabian Peninsula can be divided/delineated into two main groups according to their zoogeographical relationships; (1) Afrotropical (11 species-~52.38%); (2) Palearctic (10 species-~47.62%) elements whereas eight species (~38%) are Arabian endemics.

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Sharaf ◽  
Hathal M. Al Dhafer ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Aldawood ◽  
Francisco Hita Garcia

We revise the taxonomy of the myrmicine ants of the Monomorium monomorium species-group for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are recognized: Monomorium aeyade Collingwood & Agosti, 1996, M. clavicorne André, 1881, M. exiguum Forel, 1894, M. holothir Bolton, 1987, M. mohammedi sp. n., and M. sarawatense Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013. On the basis of the worker caste, we describe Monomorium mohammedi sp. n. from the southwestern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We designate a neotype for Monomorium aeyade Collingwood & Agosti and redescribe and illustrate the worker caste. Furthermore, we provide a worker-based species identification key, distribution maps for the treated species, and ecological and biological notes, if available. Monomorium holothir is recorded for the first time from the KSA. Also, we propose M. clavicorne var. punica Santschi, 1915a as a junior synonym of M. clavicorne, as well as M. dryhimi Aldawood & Sharaf, 2011 and M. montanum Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 to be treated as junior synonyms of Monomorium exiguum.


ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 780 ◽  
pp. 35-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Hathal M. Al Dhafer ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Aldawood

The taxonomy of the dolichoderine ants of the genusTechnomyrmexMayr, 1872 is revised for the Arabian Peninsula. Six species are treated,T.albipes(F. Smith, 1861),T.difficilisForel, 1892,T.brianiSharaf, 2009,T.vexatus(Santschi, 1919),T.montaseriSharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011, andT.setosusCollingwood, 1985. The successful tramp speciesT.difficilisForel, 1892 is recorded for the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Yemen, representing new records for the Palearctic Region.Technomyrmexvexatus(Santschi, 1919) is a new species record for Yemen. The queen caste of the rare endemic species,T.brianiSharaf, 2009 is described for the first time. A neotype for KSA endemicT.setosusCollingwood 1985 is designated based on a specimen collected from the type locality, the Asir Mountains, KSA, including new information on habitats and distribution. A male cast ofTechnomyrmex, possibly ofT.setosus, is also described. An illustrated key based on the worker caste of the Arabian species ofTechnomyrmexis given. New geographical records and a distribution map for the treated species are presented.


2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Shahid Ali Akbar ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Aldawood ◽  
Francisco Hita Garcia

In this study, we review the Arabian species of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler. We provide species reviews for the two previously known species, N.angulatus (Mayr, 1862) and N.humerosus (Emery, 1896) and describe a new species N.zaherisp. n. from Yemen based on the worker caste. An illustrated key to the Arabian species of the genus and montage photos of all three species are provided.


PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Aldawood

The species ofMeranoplusSmith, 1853 of the Arabian Peninsula are reviewed based on the worker caste. Two species are recognized, keyed, and illustrated by Scanning Electron Microscope images (SEM),Meranoplus mosalahiandM. pulcher, Sharaf, 2014.Meranoplus mosalahisp. n.is described from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman based on the worker caste. The new species belongs to theM. magrettii-group and closely resemblesM. pulcherSharaf, 2014 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), from which it can be distinguished by the bicolored body, the shallowly concave anterior clypeal margin, the absence of well-developed anterior clypeal teeth, the fewer irregular longitudinal cephalic rugae, and the feeble longitudinal rugae on posterior face of petiolar node.


ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 898 ◽  
pp. 27-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa R. Sharaf ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Aldawood ◽  
Francisco Hita Garcia

The genus Crematogaster is one of the most species-rich and widespread groups of ants. Despite their often-high local abundance and important ecological interactions, the taxonomy of the genus is fragmentary and in great need of modern revisionary studies. As a first step towards a revision for the Arabian fauna of Crematogaster, a review of all known species with synoptic species accounts is provided. Seventeen species are recognized and illustrated from the Arabian Peninsula, of which two new species are described: C. jacindae Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Dhofar Governorate, Oman, and C. gryllsi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, sp. nov. from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) based on the worker caste. Crematogaster jacindaesp. nov. is easily separated from the remainder of the Arabian Crematogaster fauna due to its complete lack of propodeal spines, slit-shaped propodeal spiracles, and its distinct bicoloration, whereas C. gryllsisp. nov. is readily distinguished by its unlobed postpetiolar dorsum. Furthermore, new country records are presented: C. acaciae Forel for the KSA and Yemen, and C. delagoensis Forel and C. jehovae Forel for the KSAC. antaris for Qatar, whereas C. luctans Forel is excluded from the Arabian fauna. In addition, on the basis of morphological examination of original type material, C. affabilis Forel is proposed as junior synonym of C. chiarinii Mayr, and C. striaticeps is elevated to species rank stat. nov. Furthermore, a new identification key for the Arabian species is provided, as well as distribution maps for all species.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Pires Coutinho ◽  
Wolmar Benjamin Wosiacki

A new species of Polycentrusis described from the rio Negro, in Brazil. It is distinguished from P. schomburgkii by the presence of two dark postocular and one subocular band, all smaller than orbital diameter, blunt snout, isognathous mouth, reduction of the serrations on the lower edge of the lacrimal-spines ranging from zero to two tiny spines at the posterior end, intensely serrated edge of the interopercle, fully serrated posterior edge of the vertical arm of the preopercle, presence of five pungent opercular spines, subopercle broadly serrated along most of its posterior ventral edge, presence of serrations dorsally on the posterior margin of the cleithrum, fourth ray of pectoral fin reaching the vertical through the anal-fin origin, 19-21 predorsal scales, 19-20 scales on dorsal-fin base, 12-14 scales on anal-fin base, and absence of a median opercular blotch.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4514 (3) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAHMOUD S. ABDEL-DAYEM ◽  
IFTEKHAR RASOOL ◽  
ALI A. ELGHARBAWY ◽  
PETER NAGEL ◽  
HATHAL M. ALDHAFER

Study of ground beetles of the Garf Raydah Nature Reserve, located in the Asir Mountains of southwestern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) resulted in one species, Paussus abditus Nagel, sp. n. described as new to science. Thirteen species (21.3%) are reported as new country records and fifteen species (24.6%) are new records for Asir Province. Adult beetles were collected from 2013 to 2017. The determination of this material yielded a total of 61 species in 40 genera and 17 tribes belonging to nine subfamilies of Carabidae. The species richness represented approximately 36.1% of carabid species previously reported from KSA. The most species rich tribes were the Lebiini (20 species), the Harpalini (10 species), and the Bembidiini (6 species). The life form analysis of adults indicated 18 life form types that are grouped into three categories, Zoophagous (77.1%), Mixophytophagous (18.0%), and Myrmecophilous (4.9%). Zoogeographical analyses indicated that the Afrotropical (19.3%) and the Saharo-Arabian (19.3%) species dominate the carabid fauna of this region of KSA. Coryza cf. maculata (Nietner, 1856) is considered the only Oriental representative. Only one cosmopolitan species, Perigona nigriceps (Dejean, 1831), was collected. Eleven endemics were identified; six species are considered KSA endemics and five are Arabian Peninsula endemics. 


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina V. Loeb

Anchoviella juruasanga is described from the drainages of rios Negro, Madeira, Tapajós, Trombetas, Tocantins, and Jari, in the Amazon basin, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by having a short upper jaw, with its posterior tip extending between the verticals through anterior and posterior margins of the pupil (vs. posterior tip of upper jaw extending beyond the vertical through posterior margin of the pupil). Anchoviella juruasanga is also distinct from other strictly freshwater Amazonian species of the genus by the distance from tip of snout to posterior end of upper jaw between 8 and 11% in standard length (vs. 14% or more in A. alleni, A. carrikeri, A. guianensis, and A. jamesi). The anal-fin origin slightly posterior to or at the vertical through the base of the last dorsal-fin ray further distinguishes the new species from A. alleni (anal-fin origin posterior to the vertical through the last anal-fin ray by at least 14% of head length) and A. jamesi (anal-fin origin anterior to the vertical through the last anal-fin ray). An identification key for the Amazonian species of Anchoviella, including marine and estuarine species known to occur in the lower portion of the basin, is presented.


2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1031-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
André R. Senna

A new amphipod species of the genus Elasmopus Costa, 1853 is described based on material collected from intertidal rocky shore, near the Suape Harbor, coast of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The new species may be recognized by the propodus of gnathopod 2 suboval, slightly tapering distally, palmar margin not defined by a stout seta, spine, or palmar corner, with a subdistal blunt tubercle, posterior margin covered by a dense fringe of plumose setae, and posterior margin of basis of pereopod 7 castelloserrate. This is the ninety-fifth species of the genus Elasmopus described worldwide, the most diverse genus in the family Maeridae Krapp-Schickel, 2008, and the eighth species recorded from Brazilian waters. An identification key to Brazilian species of Elasmopusis also provided.


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