@article {11, title = {Ants of the Monomorium monomorium species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species from southwestern Saudi Arabia}, journal = {peerJ}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {1/02/2018}, abstract = {

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 Andr\é, 1881, M. exiguum Forel, 1894, M. holothir Bolton, 1987, M. mohammedi sp. n., and M. sarawatense Sharaf \& Alda- wood, 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 identifica- tion 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.

}, keywords = {Asir Province, Identification key, Middle East, Myrmicinae, Palearctic region, Revision}, doi = {10.7717/peerj.4277}, url = {https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4277}, author = {Mostafa R. Sharaf and Hathal M. Al Dhafer and Abdulrahman S. Aldawood and Francisco Hita Garcia} }