Monomorium kusnezowi Santschi

Iran list Type location Turkmenistan (Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) kusnezowi n. sp. Santschi, 1926b: 42, worker; ) Beiram, 7.xi.1918, N Kusnezow - see below
Bolton (1995: 263, had "subspecies of indicum and senior synonym of turkmenicum; Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985: 215.
junior synonym turkmenicum (Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) venustum Sm. st. turkmenicum n. stirps Santschi, 1926b: 43, worker) - no images on Antweb (September 2015).

Santschi's (1928b) description of kusnezowi and turkmenicum is at .

The synonymy with Monomorium indicum clearly is wrong - see the type below.

The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?name=casent0913803.

Note: this is smaller, TL ca 2.5-3.0 mm, than Santschi gave for either the type, TL 4.5-4.7 mm (n = 8); or turkmenicum, TL 3.3 mm.  The Iran specimens, shown below, are of the same small size.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Monomorium kusnezowi B Taylor det.

Iran R Torabi 37

06.v.2014 29.62578°N 52.55891°E 1545 m

Hafezieh, Shiraz hand collected garden, wall 12:00 h

2

The photomontage is of a worker from Iran, collector R. Torabi (37).

The photomontage of the Monomorium indicum type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?name=casent0913803.

Note: this clearly differs from kusnezowi in colouration and pilosity.