Monomorium areniphilum Santschi

Type location Tunisia (Monomorium salomonis L. varn areniphilum n. var., Santschi, 1911f: 84, worker; Emery, 1915e: 378, queen) - see below.
Worker only described (see Bolton, 1987, 1995) .

With a fresh specimen from Egypt, Mostafa Sharaf and I have separated Monomorium pullulum Santschi to full species status. Similarly I have separated Monomorium lepineyi.

Santschi's (1911f) brief description is at . Santschi's (1919b) description of pullula is at . Santschi's (1934b) further note on pullula and description of lepineyi is at . Santschi (1936a: 50) reviewed the species, this is at .

Emery (1915e) described the queen, associated with workers from Cussabat, Libya, as: TL 5.6 mm, gaster 2.8, head 1.i X 0,75, Alitrunk 1.4 X 0.5, postpetiole width 0.35; body black, opaque; mandibles, antennae and legs reddish-brown; otherwise as the worker but more elongated.

Bolton's modern description (1987) is at .

WORKER - Diagnosis as in key; TL 3.1-4.3 mm (in Bolton, 1987: 336, illustrated head and alitrunk profile, full-face view).

Clearly a north African Sahel savannah species, as range includes Mali and Niger, plus northern Sahara locations.

Fresh specimens - Worker description:
Mandibles smooth; clypeus narrowing sharply posteriorly and leading to narrow area between the antennal carinae; pronotum highly domed with a steep anterior face; s propodeum without a longitudinal impression; petiole node moderately high and with a broad apex in profile; head finely spiculate with distinct minute hair pits
TL ca 3.3 mm, HL 0.85, HW 0.71, CI 88, SL 0.80, SI 112, PW 0.43; eye length 0.35 X HW

The photomontage of a worker from Kebili, Tunisia, among those listed by Santschi (1911f), is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0249829

Oxford University Museum specimens

Monomorium areniphilum B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	17.viii.2007 Masrah Matrouh 31°21'N 27°14'E	Kaseh Tourist Village	1
Monomorium areniphilum B Taylor det.	Egypt M Sharaf	4.v.2003 Zaranik 30°39'N 34°26'E	N. Sinai	2