Monomorium exiguum Forel 1894
Creators: name: Sharaf, Mostafa R.
name: Fisher, Brian L.
name: Collingwood, Cedric A.
name: Aldawood, Abdulrahman S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Monomorium
Monomorium exiguum

description: Monomorium exiguum Forel, 1894
(Figure 14 (a–c))
For full synonymy see Heterick (2006), pp.115–116.
Monomorium exiguum Forel, 1894: 85. (Lectotype worker) Ethiopia. Afrotropical. ‘Ethiopia, Sudabessinien. ’ (MHNG), http://www.antweb.org/specimen/CASENT0101870 [Image of type specimen examined].
Monomorium baushare Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 342 (w.) Oman. Palaearctic. (WMLC), http://www.antweb.org/specimen/CASENT0906343. Syntype worker [examined], Syn. nov.
Monomorium qarahe Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 353 (w.) KSA. Afrotropical (WMLC), http://www.antweb.org/specimen/CASENT0906344. Syntype worker [examined], Syn. nov.
Diagnosis
Worker. Eyes small, with six ommatidia in the longest row; promesonotum convex in profile; metanotal groove impressed; pronotum with a single pair of erect hairs at the humeri. Colour uniform yellow to pale yellowish brown; posterior margin of first gastral tergite, lateral sides and remaining tergites, usually darker than disc of first tergite.
Material examined
Yemen, Socotra Island, Deyishil village, 21 April 2014, 180 m, (M. R. Sharaf leg.), 12.52010° N, 54.17438°E (2 w, KSMA); Yemen, Socotra Island, W. Jo’ o, 21 April 2014, 196 m, (M. R. Sharaf leg.), 12.54038°N, 54.17186°E (5 w, KSMA); Yemen, Socotra Island, W. Ayhift, 20 April 2014, 38 m, (M. R. Sharaf leg.), 12.61064°N, 53.97672°E (12 w, 1 q, KSMA); Yemen, Socotra Island, Lehanoh, 22 April 2014, 931 m, (M. R. Sharaf leg.), 12.57583°N, 54.04836°E (1 w, KSMA); Yemen, Socotra Island, W. Jo’ o, 21 April 2014, 196 m, (M. R. Sharaf leg.), 12.54038°N, 54.17186°E (1 w, CASC).
Note
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) described Monomorium baushare from Oman and Yemen, and Monomorium qarahe from KSA based on the worker castes. Comparison of type material of both species with that of Monomorium exiguum indicates the above synonymy.
Geographic range
This minute species belongs to the Monomorium monomorium -group and has been recorded from numerous countries in the Afrotropical region including Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroun, Gabon, Zaire, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe (Bolton 1987). In the Mediterranean region it has been reported from the Balearic Islands (Gòmez and Espadaleer 2006) and Egypt (Sharaf 2006). Monomorium exiguum was recorded from the Asir Mountains, KSA by Aldawood and Sharaf (2009). This species is a new record for Socotra.
Ecological and biological notes
This tiny yellow species was found nesting under a stone next to a large fig tree and inside the galleries of a termite nest. The soil was dry with ample dry seeds. Another nest series was found in leaf litter next to a date palm tree where the soil was rich in decaying organic material.
description: Published as part of Sharaf, Mostafa R., Fisher, Brian L., Collingwood, Cedric A. & Aldawood, Abdulrahman S., 2017, Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen): zoogeography, distribution and description of a new species, pp. 317-378 in Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) (J. Nat. Hist.) 51 (5 - 6) on pages 343-345, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2016.1271157, http://zenodo.org/record/5184295