Distribution of the introduced ponerine ant Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Iran

Pachycondyla sennaarensis is the most common ant in the savannah regions of Sudan. Its habit of eating seeds has been described as unique within Ponerinae. Pachycondyla sennaarensis was reported from Saudi Arabia in 1985 and from the United Arab Emirates in 1997 (a recent introduction). This stinging ant was recorded in southern Iran in 2004 and is now spreading rapidly into most human settlements. The distribution of P. sennaarensis in Iran was studied through field surveys and examination of museum specimens. The species is currently limited to the southern provinces of SistanBaluchestan, Kerman, Fars, Hormozgan, and Bushehr with Jiroft City representing the northernmost extension of the species' range worldwide.