Saudi Arabia

• Afrotropical Region Species List

Saudi Arabia
Location
Region	Asia
Subregion	Western Asia
BioRegion	Afrotropical Region
Diversity
Subfamilies	6
Genera	38
Endemic Genera	0
% Endemic Genera	0.0%
Species/Subspecies	218
Endemic Species	39
% Endemic Species	17.9%
Introduced Species	1

The following valid species and subspecies of ants are known to occur in Saudi Arabia. Unidentified and undescribed species will be added to this list as identifications are verified and taxonomic revisions are published. This species list is based upon the effort of many ant collectors as well as myrmecologists who have published on the taxonomy of Saudi Arabia ants. Mostofa Sharaf (King Saud University, Riyadh) is actively revising the fauna of Saudi Arabia and the region. See the Ants of Saudi Arabia for more information about the fauna.

Aenictus

• Aenictus arabicus Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012

Anochetus

• Anochetus annetteae Sharaf, 2017
• Anochetus sedilloti Emery, 1884
• Anochetus traegaordhi Mayr, 1904

Brachymyrmex

• Brachymyrmex cordemoyi Forel, 1895 (introduced)

Brachyponera

• Brachyponera sennaarensis (Mayr, 1862)

Camponotus

• Camponotus aethiops (Latreille, 1798)
• Camponotus arabicus Collingwood, 1985
• Camponotus baldaccii Emery, 1908
• Camponotus empedocles Emery, 1920
• Camponotus fayfaensis Collingwood, 1985
• Camponotus flavomarginatus Mayr, 1862
• Camponotus fellah Dalla Torre, 1893
• Camponotus foraminosus Forel, 1879
• Camponotus jizani Collingwood, 1985
• Camponotus kersteni Gerstäcker, 1871
• Camponotus maculatus (Fabricius, 1782)
• Camponotus oasium Forel, 1890
• Camponotus sericeus (Fabricius, 1798)
• Camponotus thoracicus (Fabricius, 1804)
• Camponotus xerxes Forel, 1904

Cardiocondyla

• Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel, 1881
• Cardiocondyla hashemi Sharaf, 2024
• Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel 1890
• Cardiocondyla melana Seifert, 2003
• Cardiocondyla shuckardi Forel, 1891
• Cardiocondyla ulianini Emery, 1889
• Cardiocondyla wroughtonii Forel, 1890

Carebara

• Carebara arabica (Collingwood & van Harten, 2001)
• Carebara fayrouzae Sharaf, 2013

Cataglyphis

• Cataglyphis abyssinica (Forel, 1904)
• Cataglyphis adenensis Forel, 1904
• Cataglyphis arenaria Finzi, 1940
• Cataglyphis asiriensis Collingwood, 1985
• Cataglyphis aurata Menozzi, 1932
• Cataglyphis bombycina (Roger, 1859)
• Cataglyphis cinnamomea (Karawaiew, 1910)
• Cataglyphis diehlii (Forel, 1902)
• Cataglyphis emmae (Forel, 1909)
• Cataglyphis flavobrunnea Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Cataglyphis holgerseni Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Cataglyphis isis Forel, 1913
• Cataglyphis laevior Santschi, 1929
• Cataglyphis livida (André, 1881)
• Cataglyphis lutea Pisarski, 1967
• Cataglyphis minima Collingwood, 1985
• Cataglyphis nigra (André, 1881)
• Cataglyphis rubra (Forel, 1903)
• Cataglyphis saharae Santschi, 1929
• Cataglyphis sabulosa Kugler, 1981
• Cataglyphis semitonsa Santschi, 1929
• Cataglyphis viaticoides (André, 1881)

Crematogaster

• Crematogaster acaciae Forel, 1892
• Crematogaster aegyptiaca Mayr, 1862
• Crematogaster antaris Forel, 1894
• Crematogaster auberti Emery, 1869
• Crematogaster chiarinii Emery, 1881
• Crematogaster delagoensis Forel, 1894
• Crematogaster ghoneimi Sharaf, 2022
• Crematogaster gryllsi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2019
• Crematogaster jehovae Forel, 1907
• Crematogaster laestrygon Emery, 1869
• Crematogaster mimosae Santschi, 1914
• Crematogaster oasium Santschi, 1911
• Crematogaster senegalensis Roger, 1863
• Crematogaster striaticeps Forel, 1909

Cryptopone

• Cryptopone ochracea (Mayr, 1855)

Dorylus

• Dorylus fulvus (Westwood, 1839)

Emeryopone

• Emeryopone loebli (Baroni Urbani, 1975)

Hypoponera

• Hypoponera abeillei (André, 1881)
• Hypoponera eduardi (Forel, 1894)
• Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859)
• Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894)

Lepisiota

• Lepisiota arabica Collingwood, 1985
• Lepisiota bipartita (Smith, F., 1861)
• Lepisiota canescens (Emery, 1897)
• Lepisiota carbonaria (Emery, 1892)
• Lepisiota dammama Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Lepisiota dhofara Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Lepisiota erythraea (Forel, 1910)
• Lepisiota gracilicornis (Forel, 1892)
• Lepisiota harteni Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Lepisiota incisa (Forel, 1913)
• Lepisiota karawaiewi (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929)
• Lepisiota nigra (Dalla Torre, 1893)
• Lepisiota nigrescens (Karavaiev, 1912)
• Lepisiota obtusa (Emery, 1901)
• Lepisiota opaciventris (Finzi, 1936)
• Lepisiota riyadha Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Lepisiota sericea (Forel, 1892)
• Lepisiota simplex (Forel, 1892)
• Lepisiota spinisquama (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929)
• Lepisiota validiuscula (Emery, 1897)

Leptogenys

• Leptogenys maxillosa (Smith, 1858)
• Leptogenys polaszeki Sharaf & Akbar, 2017

Lioponera

• Lioponera longitarsus (Mayr, 1878)

Melissotarsus

• Melissotarsus emeryi Forel, 1907

Meranoplus

• Meranoplus pulcher Sharaf, 2014

Mesoponera

• Mesoponera ambigua André, 1890

Messor

• Messor aralocaspius (ruzsky, 1902)
• Messor arenarius (Fabricius, 1787)
• Messor buettikeri Collingwood, 1985
• Messor ceresis Santschi, 1934
• Messor crawleyi Santschi, 1928
• Messor decipiens Santschi, 1917
• Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927
• Messor foreli Santschi, 1923
• Messor galla (Mayr, 1904)
• Messor hismai Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Messor intermedius Santschi, 1927
• Messor medioruber Santschi, 1910
• Messor meridionalis (André, 1883)
• Messor minor (André, 1883)
• Messor muraywahus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Messor muscatus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Messor picturatus Santschi, 1927
• Messor rufotestaceus (Foerster, 1850)
• Messor striaticeps (André, 1883)
• Messor syriacus Tohme, 1969

Monomorium

• Monomorium abeillei André, 1881
• Monomorium areniphilum Santschi, 1911
• Monomorium asiriense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium bicolor Emery, 1877
• Monomorium brunneolucidulum Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium buxtoni Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium carbo Forel, 1910
• Monomorium clavicorne André, 1883
• Monomorium dammame Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium exiguum Forel, 1894
• Monomorium fayfaense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium fezzanense Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium gallagheri Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium hanaqe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium harithe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium heggyi Sharaf, 2021
• Monomorium hemame Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium holothir Bolton, 1987
• Monomorium jizane Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium khalidi Sharaf, 2021
• Monomorium luteum Emery, 1881
• Monomorium majarishe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium matame Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium mohammedi Sharaf & Hita Garcia, 2018
• Monomorium najrane Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium niloticum Emery, 1881
• Monomorium nitidiventre Emery, 1881
• Monomorium phoenicum Santschi, 1927
• Monomorium riyadhe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium sarawatense Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013
• Monomorium salomonis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Monomorium subdenticorne Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium suleyile Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium tumaire Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Monomorium venustum (Smith, F., 1858)

Nesomyrmex

• Nesomyrmex angulatus (Mayr, 1862)

Oxyopomyrmex

• Oxyopomyrmex nitidior Santschi, 1910

Parasyscia

• Parasyscia rifati Sharaf & Akbar, 2018
• Parasyscia wittmeri Collingwood, 1985

Pheidole

• Pheidole indica Mayr, 1879
• Pheidole jordanica Saulcy, 1874
• Pheidole katonae Forel, 1907
• Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793)
• Pheidole minuscula Bernard, 1953
• Pheidole parva Mayr, 1865
• Pheidole rugaticeps Emery, 1877
• Pheidole sarae (Sharaf, 2018)
• Pheidole sculpturata Mayr, 1866
• Pheidole sinaitica Mayr, 1862

Plagiolepis

• Plagiolepis abyssinica
• Plagiolepis boltoni Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011
• Plagiolepis juddi Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011
• Plagiolepis schmitzii

Platythyrea

• Platythyrea modesta Emery, 1899

Key to Afrotropical Platythyrea workers

Polyrhachis

• Polyrhachis lacteipennis Smith, F. 1858
• Polyrhachis viscosa Smith, F. 1858

Solenopsis

• Solenopsis abdita Thompson, 1989
• Solenopsis elhawagryi Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012

Strumigenys

• Strumigenys arnoldi Forel, 1913
• Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869

Syllophopsis

• Syllophopsis kondratieffi (Sharaf & Aldawood, 2013)
• Syllophopsis saudiensis Aldawood, 2016

Tapinolepis

• Tapinolepis longitarsis (Collingwood & Agosti, 1996)
• Tapinolepis tumidula (Emery, 1915)

Tapinoma

• Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 1911
• Tapinoma wilsoni Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012
• Tapinoma yacoubi Sharaf, 2022

Technomyrmex

• Technomyrmex briani Sharaf, 2009
• Technomyrmex montaseri Sharaf, Collingwood & Aldawood, 2011
• Technomyrmex setosus Collingwood, 1985

Temnothorax

• Temnothorax almeqeri Sharaf, 2019
• Temnothorax arabicus Sharaf & Akbar, 2017
• Temnothorax elmenshawyi Sharaf, Wachkoo & Hita Garcia, 2019

Tetramorium

• Tetramorium amalae Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012
• Tetramorium biskrense Forel, 1904
• Tetramorium caldarium (Roger, 1857)
• Tetramorium calidum Forel, 1907
• Tetramorium chefketi Forel, 1911
• Tetramorium depressiceps Menozzi, 1933
• Tetramorium doriae Emery, 1881
• Tetramorium hirsutum Collingwood & van Harten, 2005
• Tetramorium jizani Collingwood, 1985
• Tetramorium juba Collingwood, 1985
• Tetramorium khyarum Bolton, 1980
• Tetramorium latinode Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Tetramorium lanuginosum Mayr, 1870
• Tetramorium latinode Collingwood & Agosti, 1996
• Tetramorium saudiae (Collingwood & Agosti, 1996)
• Tetramorium saudicum Sharaf, 2013
• Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877
• Tetramorium shirlae Sharaf, 2007
• Tetramorium squaminode Santschi, 1911
• Tetramorium syriacum Emery, 1924

Tetraponera

• Tetraponera ambigua (Emery, 1895)

Trichomyrmex

• Trichomyrmex almosayari Sharaf & Aldawood, 2016
• Trichomyrmex chobauti (Emery, 1896)
• Trichomyrmex destructor (Jerdon, 1851)
• Trichomyrmex mayri (Forel, 1902)
• Trichomyrmex robustior (Forel, 1892)
• Trichomyrmex shakeri Sharaf & Al Dhafer, 2016

Uncertain species

The following species was described from Saudi Arabia but its true identity is currently unknown.

• Formica aequalis Walker, 1871

References

• Aldawood, A.S. 2016. Ants of the genus Syllophopsis Santschi, 1915 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Saudi Arabia with description of a new species, Zoology in the Middle East, 62:2, 137-143, DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2016.1173898.
• Aldawood, A.S., Sharaf, M.R. & Taylor, B. 2011. First record of the myrmicine ant genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia with description of a new species, C. abuhurayri sp. n. ZooKeys 92: 61–69.
• Aldawood, A.S. & Sharaf, M. R. 2011. Monomorium dryhimi sp. n., a new ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the M. monomorium group from Saudi Arabia, with a key to the Arabian Monomorium monomorium-group. Zookeys 106: 47-54.
• Collingwood, C. A. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (part 2). Fauna of Saudi Arabia. 15:300-385.
• El-Hawagry, M. S.; Khalil, M. W.; Sharaf, M. R.; Fadl, H. H.; Aldawood, S. A. 2013. A preliminary study on the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia, with descriptions of two new species. ZooKeys 274:1-88. [
• Sharaf, M.R. 2009. A new ant species of the Technomyrmex albipes-group from Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 24: 211-216
• Sharaf, M.R. & Aldawood, A.S. 2011. First occurrence of Solenopsis Westwood, 1840, in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species S. saudiensis n. sp. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (n.s.) 47: 474-479.
• Sharaf, M.R., Aldawood, A.S. & Taylor, B. 2012. A new ant species of the genus Tetramorium Mayr, 1855 from Saudi Arabia, with a revised key to the Arabian species. PloS ONE 7(2): e30811. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030811.