Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of

Riyadh Province, Kingdom Saudi Arabia

Shehzad Salman
Proposal Presentation

Advisor: Dr. Abdulrahman Al Dawood

Co. Advisor: Dr. Mostafa R. Sharaf
 Contents
Introduction
Objectives
Material and methods
Research Plan
References
 Introduction

• Ants are diverse and abundant of all insects

• Habitat: desert, rainforests, sea coasts, deep in
soil to higher altitudes etc.
• Size: 1-40 mm
• Feeding Habits: grasses, seeds, fungi, honey dew
and some are carnivores, saprophagus etc.
 Introduction
• Hynemoptera: Vespoidea: Formicidae
• Globally there are 21 subfamilies, 308 genera and 12922
extant species
• Characteristics of Family:
• One or two segmented waist (petiole & postpetiole)
• Metapleural gland, opening above metacoxa
• Functions of metapleural gland: sanitation, chemical defence,
nestmate recongnition
 Introduction

• Antennae geniculate, 4-12

segmented in males 9-13 segmented
• Mesosoma is composed of pro-
meso-meta thorax and propodeum
• 2nd or 2nd and 3rd abcominal segment
form one or two segmented waste
• Division of labour: Workers(Major and minor) and sexual
caste (males and queen)
• Symbiotic relation: fungi, bacteria, plants and other insects
• Myrmecophiles: Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera,
Hymenoptera, Hemiptera and Dermaptera
• Ants and termites incrase crop yield in dry climate by
increasing porosity and infiltration of water.
• Bio indicators of environmental changes
Year-wise record in total no. of ant
species in Saudi Arabia
1 4
2013 2
0 9
2012 2
0 5
2011 2

s
cie
9

e
9

Sp
2009 1

of
.
No
1997-
2008
Collingwood & 8
1 9
Agost1996
Coolingwoo 156
 Objectives
• Ant fauna of Riyadh Province will be listed.
• Keys to recorded and collected subfamilies, genera and
species will be given to facilitate recognition of taxa.
• Redescriptions of shortly described species will be
presented.
• Biological and ecological notes on different species will be
provided.
• Distribution maps of ant species will be provided.
 Material & Methods
Study area:
• Afif,
• Al-Duwadmi,
• Al-Ghat,
• Al- Gway'iyyah,
• Al-Hareeg,
• Al-Kharj,
• Al-Majma'ah,
• Al-Muzahmiyyah,
• Al-Sulayyil,
• Dhurma,
• Dir'iyyah,
• Hotet Bani Tamim,
• Huraymila,
• Rumah,
• Shagra,
• Thadig,
• Wadi ad-Dawasir and Zulfy
Sample collection
• Hand picking/ Aspirator
• Bait traps
• Pitfall traps
• Soil and litter Sifting
• Beating sheet
Collection information
• Field collecting data will be recorded in a data sheet notebook with
following information
• Country and locality name,
• Date of collection,
• GPS coordinates,
• Altitude,
• Name of collector,
• Method of collection,
• Habitat and other ecological notes
Sample Preparation
• Proper mounting should expose all body parts for examination
• Body part having most diagnostic characters are:
• Mouthparts, antennae and mesosoma
Morphometric Measurements and Indices
• 
• Total Length (TL): The total outstretched length of the ant from the mandibular apex to the gastral apex.
• Head Length (HL): The maximum length of head from anterior clypeal margin to midpoint of occipital margin in full-face view. If occipital
margin is concave then measurement should be taken from the straight line joining the anteriormost or posteriormost margins.
• Head Width (HW): The maximum width of head behind the eyes in full-face view.
• Cephalic Index (CI):
• Scape Length (SL): Length of scape excluding neck close to condylar blub.
• Scape Index (SI):
• Eye Length (EL): Maximum diameter of eye.
• Ocular Index (OI):
• Mesosoma Length (ML): It is diagonal length of alitrunk from anterior margin where pronotum meets with cervical shield to the
posterior margin of metapleuron in profile view.
• Pronotal Width (PRW): Maximum width of pronotum in dorsal view.
• Petiole Length (PL): Maximum length of petiole in dorsal view.
• Petiole Width (PW): Maximum width of petiole in dorsal view.
• Postpetiole Length (PPL): Maximum length of postpetiole in dorsal view.
• Postpetiole width (PPW): Maximum width of postpetiole in dorsal view.
Specimen examination
• Observation will be done under Nikon SMZ1500 Stereomicroscope
• Identification will be done using regional keys & original decriptions
• Automontage of specimens will be done using digital camer fitted on
LEICA MZ125 stereomicroscope
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photographs will be taken to
illustrate diagnostic features of certain species
• Distribution map will be constructed using DIVA GIS 7.5
Pitfall trap
• Used for sampling of foraging ants
• Plastic container 40-70mm diameter
• Any killing agent especially 96% Ethanol will be used
Sifting trays
• Soil and litter sifting efficient method for tiny and cryptic species
• It has two parts: upper part has sieve and lower container to collect
ants
Wrinkler extraction
• Used for litter inhabiting ants
• Leaf litter is first sifted than poured into Wrinkler sac
Direct sampling
• Using aspirator
• Used for foraging ants