Holotype : Iran •worker, Fars, Estahban, 29.1331/54.389, 1730 m a.s.l., 16 Aug. 2019, H. Kiyani leg., LBC-IR00179, CASENT6006519 (MNHW); paratypes: 5 workers, the same data as holotype, CASENT6006520–CASENT6006524 (MNHW, MHNG); paratype: worker: the same data as holotype except LBC-IR00180, CASENT6006525 (MNHW); paratype: worker, the same data as holotype except 6 Sep. 2018 and LBC-IR00182, CASENT6006526 (MNHW).

Holotype worker labels : Iran, Fars, 1730 m | Estahban | 29.1331 / 54.389 | 16 VIII 2019, H. Kiyani || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-IR00179 || CASENT6006519.

Figures 1, 2. 

Holotype worker of Cataglyphis fici sp. nov. 1 dorsal 2 lateral. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Cataglyphis fici is a member of the Cataglyphis albicans group and can be separated from all species clustered in the cinnamomea and fortis complexes and most of members of the albicans complex by yellow to yellowish red body coloration; while other species have body completely brown to black. From bicolored species of the albicans complex it differs in smaller body size (WL < 3 mm) and presence of infuscated to yellowish brown mid and hind legs. However, C. fici is most similar to species included in the C. livida complex and can be easily separated based on at least mid and hind legs partly to mostly infuscated to yellowish brown. In contrast, all remaining members of the C. livida complex have legs uniformly colored and always in the same shade as mesosoma and head. Additionally, C. fici differs from C. lutea, C. arenaria, C. argentata, C. aurata, and C. livida in gaster darker than head and mesosoma sometimes infuscated.

Worker (n = 8): Measurements. HL: 1.405 (1.29–1.54); HW: 1.325 (1.23–1.43); SL: 1.483 (1.36–1.59); PW: 0.897 (0.84–0.97); PRL: 0.737 (0.68–0.79); PRW: 0.595 (0.56–0.65); PTH: 0.383 (0.32–0.654); PTW: 0.360 (0.34–0.38); WL: 1.933 (1.81–2.09); HFL: 2.038 (1.83–2.24); CI: 1.060 (1.038–1.077); SI: 1.056 (1.032–1.072); PI: 1.065 (0.889–1.158); FI: 1.054 (1.036–1.111). Color. Head, mesosoma and petiolar scale from yellow to yellowish red, in the darkest specimens sides of mesonotum and propodeum indistinctly infuscated, gaster in the palest specimens mostly yellow with infuscated two apical sternites (Fig. 6), in dark specimens yellowish at base then gradually infuscated apically, with dark brown apical tergites and sternites (Fig. 5). Forelegs in the palest specimens completely yellow, mid and hind legs with brown femora and tibiae and yellowish tarsi, in dark specimens all legs at least partly infuscated. Usually fore coxa mostly brown with reddish spots of diffused borders laterally, fore femora mostly brown with yellowish apices, fore tibiae yellowish brown and fore tarsi yellowish; mid and hind femora dark brown, tibiae yellowish brown to brown, tarsi yellowish to yellowish brown (Figs 2, 5). Antennal scape yellow, funicles in the palest specimens slightly darker than scape, yellowish basally and yellowish brown apically, in dark specimens only first segment of funiculus yellowish, remaining segments gradually yellowish brown to dark brown. Head. Subrectangular, approximately 1.05 × as long as wide, sides below eyes almost parallel, above eyes gently convex, occipital margin convex (Fig. 3). Anterior margin of the clypeus convex, with small median emargination, clypeal anterior margin with a row of short, white setae and additional six long, white setae, the longest as long as 0.7 × length of clypeus. Whole surface of clypeus densely microreticulate with shiny background, covered with very sparse and short, adpressed hairs. Eyes large, oval, approximately 1.4 × as long as wide. Frontal carinae short, not extending beyond frontal lobes, interocular area without shiny line or carina and with a pair of long white setae. Antennal fossa shallow, microreticulate with shiny background. Whole head surface finely microreticulate with shiny background, occipital part of the head and are behind eyes with reduced sculpture and shinier, covered with extremely sparse, indistinct, adpressed hairs. Ocellar region with a pair of moderately long white setae, occipital part of head with 2–6 long, white erect setae, underside only with a pair of long, white setae close to lateral margin of head. Antennal scape moderately long, in frontal view almost straight, approximately 1.1 × as long as length of the head; thin, in apex only slightly and gradually widened; its base without tooth. Funiculus long, first funicle segment elongated, approximately 0.8 × as long as segments II and III combined, and 1.7 × as long as segment II (Fig. 3). Surface of scape densely microsculptured; shiny to indistinctly opalescent; covered with strong, moderately dense, decumbent setae. Mandibles rounded, only in basal part smooth and shiny, apical ¾ with deep grooves, surface shiny with several long yellow setae, masticatory margin with four4 large teeth. Mesosoma. Long, 2.1 × as long as wide; metanotal groove shallow (Fig. 2). Pronotum convex on sides (Fig. 1). In lateral view promesonotum slightly arched in profile; propodeum positioned lower than promesonotum, moderately convex in lateral view; propodeal spiracle strongly elongated and slit-shaped, approximately 4.2 × as long as wide (Fig. 2). Whole mesosoma opalescent, with dense, fine microreticulation and shiny background; covered with extremely sparse and short adpressed microsetae, on sides of pro- and mesonotum appears almost hairless, only anterior part of pronotum, posterior angles of mesonotum and propodeum with sparse setosity. Pro- and mesonotum without erect setae, propodeum without erect setae or in its posterior part with one or two short, white, erect setae. Scale. In form of a short cuneiform node, in lateral view almost trapezoidal with very short peduncle. Anterior face close to base distinctly convex, posterior face slightly concave, top of scale in lateral view obtusely rounded, without erect setae (Fig. 4). In anterior and posterior view top margin of scale without emargination. Surface of petiole distinctly microreticulate and shiny. Gaster. With fine transverse microreticulation and striation and very shiny background. Whole surface of gaster with hardly visible, extremely short, sparse, adpressed microsetae, tergites I and II without erect setae, tergites III and IV with a pair of long white setae centrally, each gastral sternite with 2–4 long, white, erect setae. Legs. Dorsal and lateral surface of femora and tibiae covered with sparse, white adpressed setae. Ventral surface of femora and tibiae with rows of elongate, white, erect spiniform setae.

Figures 3, 4. 

Holotype worker of Cataglyphis fici sp. nov. 3 head 4 petiole Scale bars: 0.5 mm (4), 1 mm (3).

Little known, workers were collected on the ground in fig orchard at altitude 1730 m.

The species name fici is a noun in the genitive case named after the generic name of the fig tree, Ficus sp., the dominant plant in the type locality of this ant species.

Figures 5, 6. 

Paratype workers of Cataglyphis fici sp. nov. 5 the darkest form 6 the palest form Scale bar: 1 mm.

Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; mesosoma, posterior part of the head and coxae covered with a layer of silvery hair.

North Africa region, from Mauritania to Jordan. Based on photographs available on AntWeb specimens from Arabian Peninsula probably refer to C. lutea.

Cataglyphis arenaria was separated from C. livida and C. viaticoides based on the presence of a thick layer of silvery hair on mesosoma and posterior part of the head. Two years after the original description of C. arenaria, Karavaiev (1911) described Myrmecocystus albicans ssp. lividus var. aurata, which was later validated by Menozzi (1932) as trinominal. The latter species also was separated from C. livida based on presence of silvery hair on its body. Probably, Karavaiev was unaware of the existence of C. arenaria during his work on C. aurata. Study of type specimens and descriptions of both C. arenaria and C. aurata did not provide any characters useful in separating these two species. Thus, we conclude that both taxa could be conspecific (see also note in Cataglyphis argentata (Radoszkowsky, 1876) and C. aurata Menozzi, 1932). However, this hypothesis requires verification based on larger material collected from the whole area of their distribution, supported with studies on male genitalia, and genetic analyses.

Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; mesosoma, body covered with a layer of silvery hair.

Egypt.

Type specimens of this species are considered lost and, as suggested by Agosti (1990), due to ambiguous description of this species, its assignation to the livida complex is tentative. The silvery hair mentioned in the description can suggest an affiliation of C. argentata with the bombycina or laevior complexes. If C. argentata is a member of the livida complex, then its description could indicate that it is probably conspecific with two other North African taxa: C. arenaria and C. aurata. If this assumption is correct, then the name C. argentata has priority over C. arenaria and C. aurata.

Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; mesosoma, posterior head and coxa covered with a layer of silvery hair.

North Africa. Probably records from Asia Minor refer to Cataglyphis lutea.

Cataglyphis aurata was separated from C. livida based on the presence of a thick layer of silvery hair on its body. Probably, Karavaiev, during his work on C. aurata, was unaware of the existence of C. arenaria, another species described from the North African region characterized by the same feature. Study on type specimens and descriptions of both C. arenaria and C. aurata did not provide any characters useful separating these two species. Thus, we conclude that they could be conspecific. However, this hypothesis requires verification based on larger material collected from the whole area of their distribution, supported with studies on male genitalia, and genetic analyses. See also note in C. argentata.

Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; mesosoma and coxa covered with a layer of silvery hair.

Unknown. Due to mislabeling of type specimens of C. livida and C. viaticoides, both species were wrongly interpreted, and most of their historic records require verification. Based on available material, we can confirm its presence in Egypt, coastal parts of Israel, Syria, and Antalya Province in Turkey.

A study on type specimens of C. livida revealed that this species could be easily separated from most members of the livida complex based on the presence of a layer of silvery hair on propodeum and katepisternum, and lack of these on posterior head. Lack of comment on this feature in the original description combined with mislabeling of type specimens (see Bračko et al. 2016) caused confusion, leading to the long-lasting misinterpretation of C. livida.

Whole body yellow, only gaster sometimes with indistinctly infuscated apex; body never with a layer of silvery hair.

Species known from Arabian Peninsula east to Afghanistan.

Cataglyphis lutea was described from Shiraz, Fars Province in Iran as an unavailable quadrinominal name (Emery 1906), later validated by Pisarski (1967) as a subspecies of C. livida, and finally considered as its junior synonym (Radchenko 1997). A study on type specimen revealed that C. lutea distinctly differs from C. livida in lack of a layer of silvery hair on mesosoma, and its distribution does not overlap with confirmed records of C. livida. Thus, we decided to raise it to the species status. AntCat resources indicated that, except type locality, C. lutea is also known from Aran va Bidgol, Maranjab, Iran (CDA000106) and Saudi Arabia (CASENT0906455).

Head and mesosoma uniformly yellowish red to reddish yellow, gaster entirely or mostly dark; thin layer of silvery hair limited to propodeum.

Balkans and Asia Minor.

Radchenko (1997), based on confusion related to the type labels of C. livida and C. viaticoides (see Bračko et al. 2016), considered C. livida bulgarica and C. albicans mixtus as junior synonyms of C. livida. Results presented by Bračko et al. (2016) clarified that the only member of the livida complex with entirely or mostly black gaster is C. viaticoides and thus Cataglyphis livida bulgarica Atanassov, 1982 and Cataglyphis albicans mixtus (Forel, 1895) should be considered as its junior synonyms.