Cardiocondyla melana
| Cardiocondyla melana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Cardiocondyla |
| Species: | C. melana |
| Binomial name | |
| Cardiocondyla melana Seifert, 2003
| |
Workers were collected from the soil in an isolated date farm (Saudi Arabia).
Contents
Identification
Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla shuckardi group. Cardiocondyla melana differs from the closely related SE African Cardiocondyla shuckardi by non-overlapping CL/CW data and a much more slender postpetiole.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, Yemen (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- melana. Cardiocondyla melana Seifert, 2003a: 259, fig. 41 (w.) YEMEN.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.250. Anteromedian clypeal margin and median occipital margin straight or slightly concave. Postocular distance very large, PoOc/CL 0.462. Scape of medium length, SL/CS 0.816. Eye small, EYE 0.221. Lateral area of clypeus with few longitudinal curved carinulae and semierect pubescence. Frontal carinae immediately caudal of FRS level parallel. Sculpture on dorsal area of head variable in strength, but overall impression of vertex even in specimens with stronger sculpture still shining. Frontal laminae and vertex caudally of them strongly to weakly longitudinally carinulate. Foveolae on lateral vertex always flat and, in more strongly-sculptured specimens, embedded within longitudinal rugulae. Promesonotum and waist smooth and shining, with fragmentaric rugulae. Dorsal area of propodeum shining but rugulose-microreticulate. Meso- and metapleuron and propodeum laterally reticulate. Petiole node slightly wider than long. Ventral postpetiole with 2 very shallow paramedian, longitudinal carinae or elongated bulbs, in dorsal view with straight anterior margin and convex sides. Metanotal depression with shallow slopes and less deep than in Cardiocondyla fajumensis. Spines reduced to blunt angles. Whole body dark to blackish brown.
Type Material
Holotype worker and 1 paratype worker, labelled “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991”; further 9 paratype workers labelled “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991.09.21”, “YEMEN: Sana'a 1991.10”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991.06”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991.09”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1991”, “YEMEN: Al Mahwit 1993”, “YEMEN: Wadi Surdad 1993”, “YEMEN: Hasta 1992.10” (all stored in Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz).
