Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Plagiolepis - Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) pallescens Forel

Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) pallescens Forel

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Greece (Plagiolepis pygmaea Latr. Varietät pallescens, Forel, 1889: 265, worker; Santschi, 1911i: 287, queen; Finzi, 1928c: 790, male [not in HNS list]; variety of pygmaeus, Ruzsky, 1902d: 18 [unavailable], Santschi, 1920g: 168; raised to species Emery, 1921d: 315, Finzi, 1928c: 790) - type damaged - see link below
subspecies elguerrhae (Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) pallescens For. var. elguerrhae nova., Karavaiev, 1931a: 311, illustrated, worker & queen) from Algeria - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
isis (Plagiolepis pallescens Forel var. isis nov., Santschi, 1938a: 39, illustrated, worker & queen) from Egypt - see below


{Plagiolepis pallescens elguerrahe}{Plagiolepis pallescens}Forel (1889) denoted pallescens as a variety separable from the type pygmaea on the basis of being bright yellow to bright light yellow-brown on the posterior gaster. Santschi (1911i) noted this variety (of pygmaea) could be attached by its relatively elongated antennae to schmitzi. Emery (1921d) made a study of the pygmaea group of Mediterranean species; this is at - {short description of image}.

{Plagiolepis pallescens}Santschi's (1920g) description is at {original description}. Karavaiev's (1931a) description of elguerrhae is at {original description}. Santschi's (1938a) description of isis is at {original description}.


Egypt Records - Santschi (1938a: 39) reported isis workers and queens from Ghezireh, 23.viii.1923, from nest in millet plant (Alfieri), possibly the same as atlantis reported by Finzi (1936); Donisthorpe (1942a) recorded sordida from Siwa, Zeitoun & Khamissa, 17 workers.

Sharaf list - Material examined: Abu-Madi, Zaranik (North Sinai), 6.v.2003 (3) (SHC); Giza, 20.ii.1955 (4) (ASUC).

El-Ziady (1958) included information that - "Recent finding (unpublished data) showed that the root aphid Triphidaphis phaseoli Thoe [(Passerini)?] on bean roots depended on the ants Paratrechina jaegerskioeldi Mayr and Plagiolepis pallescens Forel for its transportation and dissemination from plant to plant and from one crop to another" [El-Ziady, S. 1958. Ants, the probable agents of the onset of infestation of cotton with aphids and coccids. Bull. Soc. Ent. Egypt, 62, xx.]


{Plagiolepis pallescens}The photomontage of the type worker of isis is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912422.
The distorted, flattened type worker can be seen at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casentcasent0909854. .


{Plagiolepis pallescens}The photomontage of a worker from Egypt is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent09062543. One of the Donisthorpe (1942a) recorded specimens.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) pallescens
B Taylor det.

Egypt
M Sharaf


5.v.2003
Zaranik
30°39' N
34°26' E
North Sinai
2
{album}
Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) pallescens
B Taylor det.
Egypt
M Sharaf

4.v.2003
Zaranik
30°39' N
34°26' E
North Sinai
1


{Plagiolepis pallescens}

The photomontage is of workers from Egypt, Zaranik, N. Sinai; collector Mostafa Sharaf.

©2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

href="plagiolepis_pallescens.htm"