Cataglyphis niger Andre 1881
Creators: name: A. Ionescu
name: P.-A. Eyer
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Cataglyphis
Cataglyphis niger

description: <i>Cataglyphis niger</i> (André, 1881) (Figs 16, 26–28) <b>Recognition:</b> <i>C. niger</i> is characterized by black color with a grayish tint due to abundant silvery pubescence on head and mesosoma and accentuated microsculpture, but out of the 70 medium/large examined specimens (MW&gt;1.13), Fve with dark wine-red frons or head, and four also with similarly colored spots on mesonotum. Gaster matte except venter. <i>C. niger</i> has scarce pilosity on propodeum dorsum, 1–3 setae in 26/68 ants. It has more Fattened propodeum (Figs 16, 17), and on average shorter scape and legs than <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i> from most sampled localities (Table 2). It has raised mesonotum over pronotum in 44% (n=68) of examined specimens, a lower frequency than in <i>C. israelensis</i> and <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i>. <i>Measurements</i>: TL=5.6–13.0, HL=1.56–3.24, HW=1.37–3.23, EL=0.44–0.89, iOD=0.98–2.54, OcClD=0.72–1.55, SL=1.76–3.37, F1L=0.45–0.76, F2L=0.24– 0.45, ML=2.20–4.47, MW=0.96–2.11, PrL=0.85–1.66, PrH=0.18–0.51, PNL= 0.45–0.91, PNW=0.28–0.72, PNH=0.21–0.55, PNA=63–77°, mFmL=1.98–3.87, hTbL= 2.46–4.80 (n=73). <b>Material examined: Israel:</b> Tel Aviv, Tel Barukh, 242, 2012, R. Zeltzer (12☿), 15.iii.2014, T. Reiner- Brodetzki (2☿, 1Ƌ); Tel Aviv, Tel Barukh, dunes, 11.iv.2016, A. Ionescu (12☿); Tel Aviv, 10.vi.1962, H. Bytinski-Salz (1Ƌ), 2.iv.1970, H. Bytinski-Salz (3☿, 1&amp;female;, 2Ƌ), 8.v.1973, J. Kugler (2Ƌ); 9.v.1982, Y. Zvik (1Ƌ), 10.v.1988, O. Soussan (1Ƌ); Yafo, 1.iv.2016, P.-A. Eyer &amp; A. Hefetz (7☿), 26.v.2016, A. Ionescu (36☿); Holon, 29.v.1959, H. Bytinski-Salz (1Ƌ); Ziqim West, #1, 2012, R. Zeltzer (6☿), #3, 2012, R. Zeltzer (4☿), #4, 2012, R. Zeltzer (3☿), #5, 2012, R. Zeltzer (8☿). <b>Distribution:</b> The known distribution of <i>C. niger</i> in Israel is in the central and southern Coastal Plain. The species was reported as widely distributed from Egypt (Mohamed <i>et al</i>. 2001) throughout the Middle East to Iran (Radchenko 1998; Paknia <i>et al.</i> 2008). <b>Notes:</b> Santschi (1929) deFned <i>C</i>. <i>bicolor</i> st. <i>nigra</i> by its black color, gaster matte dorsally and laterally vs. shiny at least laterally in var. <i>savignyi</i> and var. <i>desertorum</i>; petiole node as high or higher than long and rounded (Santschi 1929, Fg. 4) vs. lower and more elongate posteriorly in var. <i>savignyi</i>, and longer than high in st. <i>abyssinica</i>; st. <i>nigra</i> has sparse pilosity as compared to var. <i>isis</i> (Santschi 1929). In Collingwood and Agosti (1996) the diagnostic character that distinguishes <i>C</i>. <i>niger</i> from <i>C</i>. <i>savignyi</i> is a lower propodeum with a Fatter curvature in <i>niger</i> (Collingwood &amp; Agosti 1996, Fg. 43). The use of Santschi’s (1929) identiFcation key, which is based largely on color, leads to misidentiFcation of all black specimens of <i>C. israelensis</i> and <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i>, although the misidentiFcation of <i>C. israelensis</i> and <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i> from the northern and central Coastal Plain will be doubtful because the gaster in some of these ants is laterally shiny. Following Collingwood and Agosti (1996), black <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i> with the high propodeum from Mishor Yamin and Holot ’Agur would be correctly identiFed, but the previous uncertain identiFcations from the northern and central Coastal Plain would become certain misidentiFcations. <i>Cataglyphis niger</i> distribution in Israel seems to be restricted to the central and southern Coastal Plain, sympatric with <i>C</i>. cf. <i>savignyi</i>; but only a wider genetic characterization of ants from northern Africa and the Middle East may reveal its complete distribution range and provide a deeper understanding of the relationships between the different ant populations inhabiting this broad geographic region. riables per taxon; see ‘Materials and Methods’ for full names of variables.
description: Published as part of <i>A. Ionescu &amp; P. - A. Eyer, 2016, Notes on Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 of the bicolor species-group in Israel, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), pp. 109-131 in Israel Journal Of Entomology 46</i> on pages 123-125, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.221456