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First occurrence of the ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
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from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Mostafa R. Sharaf1*, Shehzad Salman1, Hathal Al Dhafer1, Albandari F. Al_Yousef2
& Abdulrahman S. Aldawood1
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1 Economic Entomology Research Unit (EERU), Plant Protection Department, College of Food
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and Agriculture Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, P. O. Box 2460, Kingdom of
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Saudi Arabia.
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2 Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nora Bint Abd-Elrahman University,
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Riyadh 11495, P.O. Box 22491, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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* corresponding author, E-mail: [email protected]
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ABSTRACT
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The formicine ant genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 is recorded for the first time from the
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from the Arabian Peninsula by the species B. cordemoyi Forel,
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1895. A brief description and automontage images of the species are presented with ecological
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and biological notes.
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KEYSWORDS. New record, Middle East, Palearctic region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
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Province, Formicinae.
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INTRODUCTION
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The ant genus Brachymyrmex was established by Mayr in 1868 for the type species B.
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patagonicus Mayr from Argentina. The genus is included in the Formicinae and the
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Plagiolepidini (Bolton 2003) and currently includes 61 described species and subspecies (Bolton
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2015, http://www.antwiki.org/, accessed 30 December 2015), distributed mainly in the Nearctic
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(Creighton 1950); Neotropical (Brown 2000, Wild 2007, Ortiz & Fernandez 2014) regions, and
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with a distributional range from the United States to Argentina and Chile (Brandao 1991, Bolton
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1995, 2003). There are records from Africa as exotics (Gabon, South Africa, Tanzania), and
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Madagascar (www.antwiki.org, Accessed 1 January 2016). The majority of species of
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Brachymyrmex are generalized foragers with a broad range of nesting habitats including the soil,
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rotten wood, leaf litter, under loose bark at the bases of tree trunks (MacGown et al. 2007), in
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seeds, trees or fallen fruits (Brown 2000). The genus includes species that are known as
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successful invasive such as B. patagonicus a species that has been successfully established in
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many regions of the United States (MacGown et al. 2007) and has become a serious pest in both
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natural and disturbed habitats.
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Two key morphological features distinguish workers of Brachymyrmex from other
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formicine genera, a 9-segmented antennae and lacking a differentiated antennal club (Bolton
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1994). Santschi (1923), Quiran et al. (2004), and Ortiz & Fernandez (2014) have provided
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limited synopsis of this genus, but additional revisionary work is required. Herein, the ant genus
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Brachymyrmex is recorded from the first time from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and
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from the Arabian Peninsula by the species B. cordemoyi Forel, 1895.
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MATERIALS AND METHODS
A sifting tray was used to collect the specimens. Digital color images of lateral and dorsal
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views of the entire body and full-face views of the head of each species were made at the
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California Academy of Sciences and were created using a Leica DFC450 digital camera with a
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Leica Z16 APO microscope and LAS (v3.8) software. These images are also available online on
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AntWeb (www.antweb.org, Accessed 29 December 2015) and are accessible using the unique
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identifying specimen code.
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Museum abbreviations.
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CASC
California Academy of Science Collection, San Francisco, California, USA.
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KSMA
King Saud University Museum of Arthropods, King Saud University, Riyadh,
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
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Brachymyrmex cordemoyi Forel, 1895 (Figures 1-3)
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Brachymyrmex patagonicus var. cordemoyi Forel, 1895: 49 (w.) Reunion, Malagasy.
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Materials examined. Saudi Arabia, 8 workers, Riyadh, King Saud University campus,
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24.71383°N, 46.62557°E, 02.ii.2014, 660 m (S. Salman leg.); 6 workers, 20.ix.2014; 6 workers,
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15.iii.2015, KSMA; 1 workers, 14.iii.2015, CASC, (casent0922067). All the above material has
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identical locality and collector information.
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Diagnosis. Worker. Head distinctly longer than broad with a straight posterior margin and
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clearly convex lateral sides; eyes with nine ommatidia in the longest row; scapes when laid back
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from their insertions just reach posterior margin of head. Mesosoma. Metanotal groove
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impressed; propodeal dorsum short descending abruptly into long declivity; propodeal spiracle
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small, circular, situated at middle of propodeal declivity. Sculpture. Body smooth and shining.
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Pilosity. Cephalic dorsum with abundant appressed pubescence; two pairs of long setae on
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anterior and posterior clypeal margins; one pairs of setae on frontal carinae, one pair on posterior
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margin of head; mesosoma with one pair of long setae on pronotal and promesonotal dorsum;
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gaster with many scattered long setae. Colour. Uniform brown, antennae and legs yellowish.
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Ecological notes: This species was found nesting in soil at the base of a date palm tree (Phoenix
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dactylifera L.) in King Saud University campus (Fig. 4), Riyadh. Specimens were collected by
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sifting the soil which was a mixture of sandy clay, with much decaying organic material.
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Workers were found about 8 cm deep in the soil. Other ant species collected with B. cordemoyi
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included: Solenopsis saudiensis Sharaf & Aldawood 2011, Nylanderia jaegerskioeldi (Mayr,
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1904), Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 191, and Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890.
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Geographic range. Nearctic (Creighton 1950, Brown 2000), Neotropical (Ortiz & Fernandez
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2014, Wild 2007), Afrotropical (www.antweb.org, Accessed 29 December 2015), and Malagasy
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(Forel 1895) regions.
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Brachymyrmex patagonicus is an example of a successful invasive species of ant. This
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species has the ability to survive in a wide range of habitats and the capacity to coexist with
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dominant ant species (MacGown et al. 2007). Colonies of this species can be established in
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relatively small areas and are apparently transported easily by human activities from site to site.
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King Saud University is the home for many students from different countries in Africa (Sudan,
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Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and Guinea), and perhaps B. cordemoyi Forel was incidentally
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introduced by students with their belongings. Another possibility is by the numerous imported
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cosmopolitan horticultural plants and irrigated lawns that are planted throughout the campus.
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This introduction may have recently occurred. The senior author has been collecting ants for ten
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years on the campus and in many other regions of KSA and this species has not been observed.
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Brachymyrmex patagonicus was not reported by Collingwood (1985) and Collingwood & Agosti
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(1996). Additional studies will indicate the extent of the distribution this ant species in KSA.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The project was funded by the National Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation
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(MAARIFAH), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
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award number 12-ENV2804-02. The authors are grateful to Dr. B. Kondratieff for useful
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comments and to Dr. Brian Fisher and Mrs. Michele Esposito (California Academy of Sciences)
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for photographing the species.
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REFERENCES
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Brown, W.L. Jr. (2000). Diversity of ants. Pp 45–79. In: Agosti et al. (eds.) Ants. Standard
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methods for measuring and monitoring biodiversity, Biological diversity hand book
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series. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. C. 280 pp.
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Bolton, B. (1995). A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Harvard University Press,
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Bolton, B. (2003). Synopsis and classification of Formicidae. Memoirs of the American
Entomological Institute, 71: 1–370.
Bolton, B. (1994). Identification guide to the ant genera of the world. Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, Mass., 222 pp.
Brandao, C.R.F. (1991). Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da region Neotropical.
Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, 35: 319–412.
Creighton, W.S. (1950). The ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative
Zoology at Harvard College, 104: 1–585.
Forel, A. (1895). Nouvelles fourmis de diverses provenances, surtout d'Australie. Annales de la
Société Entomologique de Belgique, 39:41-49.
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MacGown, J. A., Hill, J.G., Deyrup, M. A. (2007). Brachymyrmex patagonicus (Hymenoptera:
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Formicidae), an emerging pest species in the southeastern United States. Florida
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Entomologist, 90:457-464.
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Mayr, G. (1868). Formicidae novae Americanae collectae a Prof. P. de Strobel. Annuario della
Società dei Naturalisti e Matematici, Modena, 3: 161–178.
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Ortiz, C.M. & Fernández, F. (2014). Brachymyrmex species with tumuliform metathoracic
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spiracles description of three new species and discussion of dimorphism in the genus
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(Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys, 371, 13-33.
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Quiran, E.M., Martinez J.J., Bachmann, A.O. (2004). The Neotropical genus Brachymyrmex
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Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Argentina. Redescription of the type species,
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B. patagonicus Mayr, 1868; B. bruchi Forel, 1912 and B. oculatus Santschi, 1919. Acta
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Zoologica Mexicana (n.s.), 20: 273–285.
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Santschi, F. (1923). Revue des fourmis du genre Brachymyrmex Mayr. Anales del Museo
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Wild, A.L. (2007). A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa,
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Figure Captions:
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F. 1, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, Habitus. casent0922067, Photographer: Michele Esposito,
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copyright:www.AntWeb.org
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F. 2. Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, Lateral view, casent0922067, Photographer: Michele Esposito,
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copyright:www.AntWeb.org
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F.3, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, Frontal view, casent0922067, Photographer: Michele Esposito,
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copyright:www.AntWeb.org
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F. 4, Habitat of Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, King Saud University Campus, Riyadh, Kingdom of
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Saudi Arabia. (Photo: S. Salman).
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Figures 1-3, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, 1. Habitus,
lateral view, 2. Dorsal view, 3. Frontal view,
casent0922067, Photographer: Michele Esposito, copyright:www.AntWeb.org
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Figure 4, Habitat of Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, King Saud University Campus, Riyadh, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. (Photo: S. Salman).
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