Cataglyphis saharae Santschi

Type location Algeria (Cataglyphis bicolor F. stirps saharae n. st., Santschi, 1929b: 48, illustrated, workers; raised to species, Collingwood, 1985: 291) El Goles, Surcouf - see below
junior synonym bucculenta (Cataglyphis bicolor F. stirps saharae Sants. v. bucculenta n. var., Santschi, 1929b: 48, workers) Morocco, Bou Denib, Théry - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912228.

Santschi's (1929b) description of the type and bucculenta is at . Cagniant (2009: 51) stated he had examined the Santschi types and obtusely appears to suggest it and fresh specimens he had collected were simply Cataglyphis bicolor. Collingwood's (1985) separation of specimens from Saudi Arabia as Cataglyphis saharae may be questionable. My conclusion is that the true Cataglyphis bicolor is much lighter orange red and does not have the same line of strong setae on the under margin of the  hind tibiae.

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912226. The bucculenta major appears almost identical.

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912227.

Location Burkino Faso, Bobo Dioulasso, 11°10'N 4°18W, ex Alain Lenoir; range of workers from largest to smallest seen. In bicolor species-group of Agosti (1990).

MAJOR DESCRIPTION:
Petiole profile smoothly domed with little difference between the anterior and posterior curves, with distinct anterior ventral triangular process
no erect hairs on propodeum, a few on the posteror-dorsal corner of the petiole (none on oasium); a pair of minute erect hairs on mesonotum dorsum, a few such on pronotum; three-four pairs on each side of midline of occiput-vertex, none on dorsum of the gaster, all such hairs are whitish or colourless
sculpturation of head and alitrunk apparently coarser than bicolor ss
head, alitrunk and petiole node uniformly dark chestnut (oasium darker and petiole node near black); legs obviously entirely dark black-brown
hind tibia with sparse short dark pubescence and row of short setae
maxillary palps with longish curved hairs on inner margins (not outer as in bicolor) and fewer on the apical two segments, segment 2 broader than oasium
underside of head with no erect hairs behind psammophore hairs
dorsum of occiput with minute decumbent hairs
propodeal spiracle straight and relatively short
metanotal spiracles distinctly raised (hardly raised on oasium)

Dimensions of major - AL = 5 mm (median centre line); HW = 2.52; HL = 2.62; CI = 0.96 (HW X 100/HL; EL (maximum eye diameter) = 0.65; EI = 26 (EL X 100/HW) SL = 2.73; SI = 108 (SL X 100/HW)

Agosti (1990) had a separation that, posssibly, was - petiole nodiform; gaster raised in locomotion (guessed); petiole anterodorsal domed, in lateral view whole dorsum of petiole rounded, propodeum not raised, EI < 28, CI < 97; bicolor-group - striking monophasic variation in workers with AL from < 5 mm to < 2mm. He (page 1477) refers to bicolor-group from on the beach in the tropics, citing the Ivory Coast, but later (page 1478) gave bicolor as bicoloured workers with appressed white to yellow pubescence on the hind tibiae. Under the setipes-complex, large workers (AL < 5 mm) he noted bicoloured with thick, bristle-like black pubescence on the hind tibiae; stating the distribution includes Ghana. See Cataglyphis bicolor and Cataglyphis oasium specimens.

Named in recognition of the collector, Dr Alain Lenoir. This is one of the species studied by Dahbi, A., Hefetz, A. & Lenoir, A. (2008) Chemotaxonomy of some Cataglyphis ants from Morocco and Burkina Faso. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 36, 564-572.  http://irbi.univ-tours.fr//UIEIS/Publis%20AL/Dahbi2008-BSE.pdf

Mike Lush, whose collection of apparently very similar specimens in Gambia is shown on Cataglyphis oasium, suggests this may be the same as the Santschi (1929b: 46) description of Cataglyphis bicolor F. st. nodus n. var. oasium

Karavaiev's (1912b) description of sudanicus is at . Santschi's (1929b: 46) description of Cataglyphis bicolor F. st. nodus n. var. oasium is at .

Oxford University Museum specimens

Cataglyphis saharae B Taylor det.	Burkina Faso A Lenoir	vi.2006 Bobo Dioulasso 11°07.015 N 4°23.286 W	elev 28 m range of workers	8
Cataglyphis saharae B Taylor det.	Burkina Faso A Lenoir	xi.2007 Bobo Dioulasso 11°07.015 N 4°23.286 W	elev 28 m queen, major & minor	3

The photomontage (right) is of a a full complement of workers from Burkino Faso, ;collector Alain Lenoir.

Two colonies of C. sp (called thereafter C. sp BF) from Burkina Faso were collected in 2006 and 2007 in Burkina Faso near Bobo Dioulasso (11° 07.015 N; 4° 23.286 W, 460m asl - specimens in B. Taylor collection (2)).

Photomontages of the polymorphism are shown on this link.