A remarkable new species of the genus Lepisiota Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Oman and the United Arab Emirates with a key to the Arabian species

ABSTRACT

Lepisiota omanensis sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on the worker caste collected in Jebel Qahwan Oman, and Ain Al Waal, United Arab Emirates. The new species belongs to the L. gracilicornis group and is separated easily from all Arabian Lepisiota species, and other species in the gracilicornis group, by the exceptionally long, acute and strongly curved propodeal spines. Lepisiota elegantissima Collingwood & van Harten is recorded for the first time from Oman. Lepisiota simplex (Forel) stat rev. is recognised at species rank. Ecological and biological observations are provided. A revised key to the Arabian species of Lepisiota is given. A checklist of the Arabian Lepisiota species is presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Middle East
• Palaearctic region
• Oman
• United Arab Emirates
• Lepisiota omanensis
• new status
• key

Acknowledgements

Joe Monks thanks the National Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation (NFRCEC, Muscat) and the Oman Earthwatch Programme (OEP) for their assistance during the surveys. Special thanks to the following: Dr Saif Rashid Al Shqusi (CEO of the NFRCEC), Bushra Khalfan Al Wahaibi, Khalifa Badawi Said Al-Hijji, Said Hamed Al Rashdi, Azan Salim Al Klbani, Hammad Said Al Huseini, Nasser Mubark Al Rahabi, Waleed Hassan Al Zakwani, Abdihalim Abdullah Al Rashdi and Mohammed Humood Subait Al Muqimi (NFRCEC). From the OEP the authors thank Nigel Winser (Programme Director), Dr James Burton (Senior Programme Manager), Dr Steve Ross (Project Leader: MERU). We are indebted to Huw Roberts for permission to study materials from the UAE, and the valuable field observations of the new species.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding Research Group No. RGP-1436-029.