Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898 (Formicidae, Hymenoptera): a cryptic globally introduced species

By

Boer, Peter.
Loss, Ana Carolina
Bakker, Frederique
Beentjes, Kevin
Fisher, Brian Lee, 1964-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

979

Pages

87--97

Subjects

CO1 , invasive species , Monomorium dichroum , Monomorium pharaonis

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.979.55342

 

Abstract

The discovery in the Netherlands in a shipping container of the ant Monomorium sahlbergi Emery, 1898, a species similar to the invasive pharaoh ant M. pharaonis (Linnaeus, 1758), led to a quest to better define the distribution of this species, which was initially obscure due to uncertain specimen identifications. Here it is shown that M. sahlbergi, like M. pharaonis, is found worldwide, almost certainly as a result of introductions. Including quarantine interceptions, this species is recorded from seven global biogeographic regions, but its established outdoor distribution is currently limited to the tropics and subtropics. Monomorium dichroum Forel, 1902 is here presented as a junior synonym of M. sahlbergisyn. nov. based on morphometric and CO1 analyses.