Tapinoma yacoubi, sp. nov., a new ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia

Abstract

We describe a new species, Tapinoma yacoubi sp. n., from the Al Sarawat Mountains in southwestern Saudi Arabia based on the worker caste. Tapinoma yacoubi looks similar to T. luridum Emery, 1908 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, but can be easily distinguished by its lack of setae on the frontal carinae, the convex posterior margin of the clypeus, the single pair of black based setae on the anterior clypeal margin, and the unsculptured body surface. We present an identification key to the Arabian Tapinoma based on the worker caste.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:677ADF36-E8F1-4B2C-BFF2-306FFC94CB39

Keywords:

• Afrotropical Region
• Dolichoderinae
• Al Sarawat Mountains
• identification key

Acknowledgements

We thank Brian Taylor for useful discussion about the African Tapinoma and Brian Fisher for useful comments and Michele Esposito for imaging the new species. We are grateful to James Wetterer for critical editing and useful suggestions.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.