The worker caste of the ant species Protanilla schoedli is discovered and described for the first time based on specimens collected across Sri Lanka. The specimens examined demonstrate within-species morphological variations in body size, petiolar shape and colour. A distributional map and worker images to facilitate its identification are provided.
There are no well defined Leptogenys species groups based on the worker morphology from the Oriental region Arimoto (2017). Leptogenys chinensis forms a complex species group with closely related species having little morphological changes Wilson (1958), Sarnat and Economo (2012). From the Oriental region, there are currently 9 species belonging to the L. chinensis group. The group is diagnosed by having edentate masticatory margin of the mandible, smooth body surface, elongate antennae and metallic green cuticle. The species included are: L. assamensis; L. chinensis; L. confucii; L. kraepelini; L. laeviterga; L. pangui; L. peuqueti; L. stenocheilos and L. sunzii.Leptogenys bhartii sp. n., a new ponerine ant species from Western Himalayas, India, is described and illustrated based on the worker caste. The new species belongs to the Leptogenys chinensis group and mostly resembles Leptogenys chinensis (Mayr, 1870). In the L. chinensis group, the original description of L. stenocheilos is insufficient as it lacks information about type material. As there is no further detailing of this species in the available literature, it is difficult to ascertain its valid status Xu and He (2015) and is therefore, considered a species inquirenda herewith. A revised key to the known species of chinensis-group in the Oriental Region is provided.
In this study, we review the Arabian species of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler. We provide species reviews for the two previously known species, N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) and N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) and describe a new species N. zaheri sp. n. from Yemen based on the worker caste. An illustrated key to the Arabian species of the genus and montage photos of all three species are provided.
The ant genus Trichomyrmex Mayr, 1865 is revised for the Arabian Peninsula based on the worker caste. Nine species are recognized and descriptions of two new species, T. almosayari sp. nov. and T. shakeri sp. nov. from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia, are given. For nomenclatural stability, lectotypes for T. abyssinicus (Forel, 1894a), T. lameerei (Forel, 1902) and T. mayri (Forel, 1902) are designated. A key to species and diagnostic characters of the treated species are presented. New country records are presented for T. abyssinicus (Saudi Arabia), T. destructor (Jerdon, 1851) (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) and T. mayri (Qatar). New distributional records for T. destructor and T. mayri for Saudi Arabia are also provided. World and regional species distributions are indicated and distributional maps for nine Arabian species are included. Ecological and biological information is given when known.