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SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Cardiocondyla - Cardiocondyla mauritanica (Forel)

Cardiocondyla mauritanica (Forel)

return to key  Type location Tunisia (Cardiocondyla nuda Mayr r. mauritanica, Forel, 1890a: lxxv, worker; Forel, 1901e: 378, queen; Forel, 1904c: 6, ergatoid male; raised to species, Ortiz & Tinaut, 1987: 32) Kairouan, Santschi
junior synonym nitida (Cardiocondyla Emeryi Forel sbsp. nitida, Bernard, 1948: 142, worker; synonymy by Bernard, 1956c: 305) from Algeria - no images on Antweb (March 2019)
ectopia (Snelling, 1974: 76, illustrated, worker, queen & ergatoid male) from USA; synonymy by Seifert, 2003: 248) - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0103432.


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica}Forel's (1890a) description simply noted that mauritanica differed from the type form (of nuda) by having a deeper, more distinct metanotal groove, the alitrunk dorsum being somber red and the antero-lateral margins of the pronotum being more marked. Forel's (1904c) description is at {original description}. Finzi's (1936) illustrated note is at {original description}. Bernard's (1948) description of nitida is at {original description}. Otiz & Tinaut's (1967) description (not listed by Seifert, 2003) is at {original description}.

Seifert (2003: 248) has a record, without details, of a collection from Zimbabwe, 1995, 07.


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica}The photomontage of a cotype worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0103167.


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica}Seifert's (2003: 248) revisionary description is at {original description}.


{Cardiocondyla sp} Egypt records - Karavaiev (1911: 8) found workers in the Municipal Garden in Aswan, nesting in the earth around a flower bed; Forel (1911h: 457) recorded mauritanica from Cairo, coll E Gräter; Donisthorpe (1942a), two dealated queens & 42 workers from Siwa, collector J Omer-Cooper, June-August 1935 - probably Cardiocondyla batesii; Finzi (1936) from Aswan, Cairo, Khartoum, series of workers & alate queens from Wadi Isla, Sinai, 28.ii.1933; the report by Mohamed et al (2001) of nuda seems more likely to be mauritanica, especially as they described their specimens (in key) as having the head, alitrunk, nodes and appendages brown, gaster black, whereas the original nuda description has the alitrunk as fuscous and the head and gaster blackish, Mayr also described the petiole nodes as being punctate.

Mohamad (1979) thesis had - Sakkara road (Giza) (Coll.Min.) Alexandria, 5.viii.1975; Pyramids, 18.v.1976; Benimazar (El-Menyia), 28.i.1978; Menyia el-Qamh (Sharqyia), 30.i.1978 (Coll.Ain.)
Seifert (2003) lists the Karavaiev finding and adds - Gizeh, gyne, 27.iv.1994, and Hurghada Gifthun, worker, 12.ix.1992, and, Cairo, worker, 30.x.1957.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Cardiocondyla mauritanica
B Taylor det.
Egypt
M Sharaf

17.iii.2007
Marsa Matrouh
31°21' N
27°14' E
Kaseh Tourist Village
3
{original description}
Cardiocondyla mauritanica
B Taylor det.
Egypt
M Sharaf
8.iii.1998
Mafareq
28°42' N
33°19' E

1
{original description}
Cardiocondyla mauritanica
B Taylor det.
Egypt
M Sharaf
7.viii.2007
Sallant Mansurah
31°10' N
31°35' E

1
{original description}

{Cardiocondyla mauritanica type form}The photomontage of what appear a fair match to the type form is of workers from Egypt, Kaseh Tourism Village, Marsa Matrouh; collector Mostafa Sharaf.


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica morph B}

Cardiocondyla mauritanica morph B - Seifert (2003: 250)

Seifert examined a worker from Egypt, 23.iv.1968, Sinai, Ein Chadjiah; also from Spain, Granada, Motril, iv.2004, collector Heinze, 11 workers out of four nests of typical Cc. mauritanica.
Sharaf list - Material examined: Sahab (South Sinai), 5.iii.1998 (3); Salhyia, 17.iii.2002 (1); Abu-Swelam (El-Minyia), 29.vi.2003 (2); Elqasmia (Belbis), 21.ii.2003 (1); Sahab (South Sinai), 8.iii.1998 (1) (SHC).


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica Morph B}The photomontage of what appear a fair match to the Seifert morph B is of workers from Egypt, Mafareq, S Sinai; collector Mostafa Sharaf.


{Cardiocondyla mauritanica Morph B}The photomontage is of a workers from Egypt, taken by Mostafa Sharaf.

©2006, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2019 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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