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 chefketi Forel, 1911 ( Fig.6 c, d ) Tetramorium caespitum var. chefketi Forel, 1911:332 . Raised to species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987: 56 . Senior synonym of Tetramorium turcomanicum : Csõsz, Radchenko & Schulz, 2007: 18 . This species was recorded from Saudi Arabia ( Collingwood, 1985 ), Oman and Yemen ( Collingwood and Agosti, 1996 ). Outside Arabia, it has been reported from several parts of the Palaearctic region including southern Europe ( Greece , Bulgaria , Macedonia , Romania ), southern Ukraine , south of western Russia , northwestern Caucasus, Turkey , Turkmenistan , northern Kazakhstan , southeastern Siberia, to the east to Kyrgyzstan and Altai Mountains ( Csõsz et al. , 2007 ). At Rawdhat Khorim this species is relatively common and observed foraging on Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. f) Wight & Arn. ( Rhamnaceae ). The species has two abundance peaks, in June and November. It was collected using pitfall traps and beating vegetation.