The ants (Hymenoptera: formicidae) of Rawdhat Khorim Nature Preserve, Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species of the genus Tetramorium Mayr Author Sharaf, Mostafa R. Economic Entomology Research Unit (EERU). antsharaf@gmail.com Author Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S. King Saud University Museum of Arthropods (KSMA). Author Al Dhafer, Hathal M. King Saud University Museum of Arthropods (KSMA). Author Aldawood, Abdulrahman S. Economic Entomology Research Unit (EERU). antsharaf@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2013 2013-09-10 3709 6 565 580 journal article 54093 10.11646/zootaxa.3709.6.6 7514a773-abe5-49b7-bb4f-0f359a858c55 1175-5326 6300018 10D447D5-D5C0-409F-85FC-6E3E4619C487 Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877 ( Fig.6 h, i ) Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877:370 . This is the most common Tetramorium species found in the Arabian Peninsula ( Collingwood, 1985 ; Collingwood and Agosti, 1996 ; Collingwood et al. 2011 ) and is also broadly distributed in the savannah of tropical Africa. In Rawdhat Khorim, this species is very common and occurs during all months of the year, with a peak in December. It was observed foraging on C. procera . In the key to Arabian species (Sharaf et al. 2012:7) T. saudicum will key to couplet 16 along with chefketi and syriacum . Couplet 16 is modified here to separate the three species. 16. Mesosomal pilosity restricted to pronotum and first half of mesonotum, propodeum bare; SL 0.78–0.87; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes coarsely sulcate ( Russia & Arabia)......................................................... chefketi - Mesosoma with abundant, stout and relatively long suberect hairs; SL 0.70–0.77; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes irregularly sculptured (Middle East).......................................................................... syriacum - Mesosomal pilosity fine and acute apically and restricted to mesonotum, propodeal dorsum with a single pair; SL 0.50–0.55; petiolar node clearly irregularly rugulose; postpetiolar node distinctly strongly longitudinally rugulose ( Saudi Arabia )............................................................................................... saudicum sp. n.