The Ants of Africa
Genus Cataglyphis
Cataglyphis franchettii Menozzi - new status
albicans-group

Cataglyphis franchettii Menozzi - new status

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Ethiopia (Cataglyphis albicans ssp franchettii n ssp, Menozzi, 1931a: 155, illustrated, holotype worker only) collected at an unspecified location in the Danakil Depression by Baron Raimondo Franchetti


{Cataglyphis albicans franchettii}Menozzi's (1931a) description is at {original description}.

WORKER - Menozzi (1931a) - TL 5.8 mm; head as wide as long with the sides near straight; alitrunk somewhat elongated and slender (as albicans); petiole scale quite low, obliquely truncate, with the anterior dorsal face longer than the posterior face and forming an rounded angle at the apex; with whitish pubescence quite sparse on the head and alitrunk; a few erect hairs on the vertex and the clypeus; head sub-opaque, finely punctate, promesonotum similar, propodeum slightly more distinctly punctate, with some short striations; gaster microscopically transversely striate and shiny; colour reddish-yellow, similar to rubra but with the dorsum of the petiole scale, coxae and gaster black, except for part of the first gaster segment being reddish; femora brownish; antennae, tibia & tarsi ferruginous.


{Cataglyphis franchetti} The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905863.


{Cataglyphis franchetti} The photomontage of the type worker colour corrected to diminish the magenta tone.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Cataglyphis francheitii
B Taylor det.
Egypt
M James


2002
Sinai
28°33' N
33°56' E
St Katherine protectorate around the town of St Katherine, in mountains above 1500m
ground dwelling & foraging; collected at 2050 m, using sugar and cheese bait
2
{album}
Cataglyphis francheitii
B Taylor det.
Egypt
O Norfolk
02
2010
Sinai
28°33' N
33°56' E
St Katherine’s Protectorate
Pitfall trap in wadi garden

2
{album}
Cataglyphis francheitii
B Taylor det.
Sudan
Z Mahmoud
2009-22
Abu Dulayg
15°53'47.27" N
33°49'41.18" E
Hand collected 1
{album}

{Cataglyphis franchetti} The photomontage is of workers from Egypt, Sinai Desert, St Katherine protectorate around the town of St Katherine, in mountains above 1500m; collected at 2050 m by Mike James, using sugar and cheese bait, except # 21, found under a rock. General location . Mike James noted that foraging is early morning and evening, taking food items back to nests under plants or rocks.

Apart from being somewhat shinier than Menozzi describes, this matches the description of franchettii; notably the angular petiole, the elongated alitrunk, the striations on the propodeum, and, the shape of the head. Interestingly, Franchetti only found a single worker of the same dimensions, etc, as the James collection, so, perhaps, there is only the single small morph (reportedly a characteristic of the albicans-group).


{Cataglyphis franchetti}The photomontage is of worker from Egypt, Sinai Desert, St Katherine protectorate; collected by Olivia Norfolk (ON 2).


{Cataglyphis franchetti}The photomontage is of a specimen from Sudan; Abu Dulayg; collector Zaheir Mahmoud ( 2009-22).

Perhaps even closer than the above, this matches the Menozzi description of franchettii; notably the angular petiole, the elongated alitrunk, the striations on the propodeum, and, the shape of the head. This seems also to confirm there is only the single small morph (reportedly a characteristic of the albicans-group).

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© 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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