Monomorium venustum (F Smith)

Type location Syria (Myrmica venustum, F Smith, 1858b: 126, worker; André, 1881b: 66, queen & male).

F Smith's (1858b) description is at . André's (1881b) description is at and . André's (1883a) description of the queen is at and of the male at . Emery (1908h: 671) gave a description, this is at . Santschi (1936a: 45) trying to unravel the complexities of "salomonis" agreed with André that the salomonis of Roger (1862c: 33), described as having a deep metanotal groove, was M. venustum F Smith and not M. salomonis Linnaeus.

Egypt Records - Menozzi (1929e: 125) reported a few workers, collected in Sinai, at Wadi Feran, by F S Bodenheimer. The photomontage is of a specimen collected by Mostafa Sharaf, at Wadi Sahab, South Sinai, i.iv.1998.
This appears to match the limited descriptions, notably the alitrunk profile and deep metanotal groove. See other new specimens shown below.

Sinai 2010 specimen; collected at St Katherine's Protectorate by Amy Shepherd.
TL ca 3.75 mm, HL 0.90, HW 0.68, CI 82, SL 0.80, SI 105, PW 0.38, EI 28-29
Other images can be seen in the folder at - .

Sinai 2010 specimen; collected at St Katherine's Protectorate; pitfall trap in a wadi garden; by Olivia Norfolk. Other images can be seen in the folder at - .

The specimen photographed by Mostafa Sharaf seems to match the limited descriptions, notably the alitrunk profile and deep metanotal groove. See new specimens shown below.