Samsum ant, Brachyponera sennaarensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae): Distribution and abundance in Saudi Arabia

Journal Article

• نوع عمل المنشور: Original Research
• رابط المنشور على الويب: Samsum ant, Brachyponera sennaarensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae): Distribution and abundance in Saudi Arabia
• الوسوم: Samsum ant, Brachyponera sennaarensis (Formicidae: Ponerinae)
• المجلة \ الصحيفة: King Saud University Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
• رقم الإصدار السنوي: 22
• الصفحات: 575 - 579

مستخلص المنشور

Abstract Invasive species are capable of causing considerable damage to natural ecosystems, agriculture and economies throughout the World. Samsum ant, Brachyponera (Pachycondyla) sennaarensis has been a reason for medical implication and social nuisance through its poisonous and severely painful sting causing anaphylactic shock in many cases. We surveyed for the presence of the samsum ant in various provinces of Saudi Arabia. B. sennaarensis was the abundant Ponerinae species in human settlements. In the Eastern provinces, however, few samples were collected, and none were found in the Northern and Western provinces. Infestations of B. sennaarensis were particularly severe in the spring and summer seasons, when the ants make nests in moist areas and in cracks in cemented structures, whereas the extent of infestation reduced in winter seasons. ª 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).