Cataglyphis cursor, , Mayr, 1861

Agosti, Donat, 1990, Review and reclassification of Cataglyphis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Journal of Natural History 24, pp. 1457-1505 : 1470-1471

cursor group

Diagnosis

Workers and females: Cataglyphis ants with the following diagnostic characters:

1. Petiole squamiform, the anterior and the posterior surface meeting at an angle but only partially forming a crest (Fig. 7).

2. Third and fourth maxillary palp segments shorter than fifth and sixth together, MPI <90; third segment round in cross-section.

3. Uniform black, exceptionally with dark reddish-brown spots on the head, mainly dull, rarely shining, surface.

4. Head finely, longitudinally striate on frons; if reticulate then dorsum of alitrunk without pilosity.

5. Alitrunk length of large workers <3-4 mm.

Males: Cataglyphis ants with the following diagnostic characters:

1. Uniform black or with a reddish or yellow gaster.

2. Subgenital plate short (SPI <125; Fig. 13); with two distal, lateral rounded processes and a median part which is variable but always present.

3. Squamula caudally always projecting over the stipes, sometimes forming a distinct process pointing ventrally (Fig. 28).

4. Stipes with a large, simple, median appendix with its largest diameter longer than half the length of the stipes (Fig. 28).

5. Volsella straight; in lateral view the sides of the volsella subparallel at most, distally truncated or pointed, never pediform (Fig. 48).

6. Sagitta with a depressed shield (Fig. 63); at least distal part of the serrated face curved laterally.

Distribution

The species of the cursor group are found in the gaps of steppe and Mediterranean forest up to dry forest, discontinuously distributed from central Spain to Mongolia, but are not present in North Africa or the semideserts of the Middle East. They have a local distribution; thus if present they may be very common. No species are present in the lowland deserts of the palaearctic and they are always found at high altitude along their southern distribution limit in mountains; Antilebanon higher than 2000 m, above 2000 m ( Menozzi, 1939). A doubtful record of one female from the Côté d’Ivoire was published by Emery, 1898: 147 (footnote).

Comments

As previously stated, the cursor species-group consists mainly of taxa with a rather isolated, limited and allopatric distribution with the exception of aenescens , spread over the steppic parts of eastern Europe, the higher parts of Anatolia and the Caucasus. Differences at species level are to be found in the chaetotaxy of the head and dorsum of alitrunk and the sculpturing of the head of the worker caste, and in the genitalia of the male caste. But a study of variation in these characters needs to be undertaken. The preliminary morphological analysis of Mediterranean species is supported for the west Mediterranean species by an analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons of the workers ( Nowbahari et al., 1990).

The cursor species-group currently includes 15 taxa which can be split into two species-complexes:

(i) frigidus complex: with workers with a shining and smooth head and males with an apically rounded sagitta;

(ii) cursor complex: with workers with matt heads, a distinctly striate or reticulate frons and males with an apically pointed sagitta (for the species see synopsis above).

The affinities of cugiai remain unresolved. It might belong to thepallidus species-group ( Menozzi, 1939) or to the frigidus complex. The study of recently collected material from Afghanistan and Pakistan reveals some common but yet undescribed species (CCAC, CD A).