Cataglyphis lenoiri / saharae

Mis à jour le 16-Fév-2026

En 2006 et 2007 j'ai récolté des Cataglyphis au Burkina Faso. Ellles ont d'abord été décrites comme C. lenoiri par Brian Talyor. En fait c'était C. sarahae. Voir Cataglyphis saharae sur le site de antsofafrica

C. sp., a été étudiée par Dahbi, A., Hefetz, A. & Lenoir, A. (2008). Chemotaxonomy of some Cataglyphis ants from Morocco and Burkina Faso. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 36, 564-572. Pdf.

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The following description I compiled in 2007 and thought could be a new species Cataglyphis lenoiri Taylor now (July 2004) can be seen as C. saharae. The circum-Sahara distribution also now seems not uncommon and I have similarly identified several species from other genera.

Location Burkino Faso, Bobo Dioulasso, 11°10'N 4°18W, 2006 and 2007, ex Alain Lenoir; range of workers from largest to smallest seen. In bicolor species-group of Agosti (1990).

MAJOR DESCRIPTION:
Petiole profile smoothly domed with little difference between the anterior and posterior curves, with distinct anterior ventral triangular process no erect hairs on ropodeum, a few on the posteror-dorsal corner of the petiole (none on oasium); a pair of minute erect hairs on mesonotum dorsum, a few such on pronotum; three-four pairs on ach side of midline of occiput-vertex, none on dorsum of the gaster, all such hairs are whitish or colourless sculpturation of head and alitrunk apparently coarser than bicolor ss head, alitrunk and petiole node uniformly dark chestnut (oasium darker and petiole node near black); legs obviously entirely dark black-brown hind tibia with sparse short dark pubescence and row of short setae maxillary palps with longish curved hairs on inner margins (not outer as in bicolor) and fewer on the apical two segments, segment 2 broader than oasium underside of head with no erect hairs behind psammophore hairs dorsum of occiput with minute decumbent hairs propodeal spiracle straight and relatively short metanotal spiracles distinctly raised (hardly raised on oasium)

Dimensions of major - AL = 5 mm (median centre line); HW = 2.52; HL = 2.62; CI = 0.96 (HW X 100/HL; EL (maximum eye diameter) = 0.65; EI = 26 (EL X 100/HW) SL = 2.73; SI = 108 (SL X 100/HW)

Agosti (1990) had a separation that, posssibly, was - petiole nodiform; gaster raised in locomotion (guessed); petiole anterodorsal domed, in lateral view whole dorsum of petiole rounded, propodeum not raised, EI < 28, CI < 97; bicolor-group - striking monophasic variation in workers with AL from < 5 mm to < 2mm. He (page 1477) refers to bicolor-group from on the beach in the tropics, citing the Ivory Coast, but later (page 1478) gave bicolor as bicoloured workers with appressed white to yellow pubescence on the hind tibiae. Under the setipes-complex, large workers (AL < 5 mm) he noted bicoloured with thick, bristle-like black pubescence on the hind tibiae; stating the distribution includes Ghana. See Cataglyphis bicolor and Cataglyphis oasium specimens.

Named in recognition of the collector, Dr Alain Lenoir.