Solenopsis conjurata

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Solenopsis conjurata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Solenopsis
Species complex: molesta
Species: S. conjurata
Binomial name
Solenopsis conjurata
Wheeler, W.M., 1925

Solenopsis conjurata has been collected at 1700 m in wet cloud forest litter in Costa Rica. It is also found in tropical rain forest and in riparian oak/cottonwood forest in Mexico. Solenopsis conjurata was also collected on Cordia alliadora on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Many workers were collected in subterranean Vienna sausage baits.

Identification

A New World thief ant that is a member of the molesta species complex.

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - This is a small, yellow species with circular eyes (infrequently the eyes are elongate). It is moderately hairy with appressed hairs on the posterior tibiae. The minor funicular segments are at least 0.120 mm in length. Queen - The gyne is relatively large at 4.50 mm in total length and is concolorous golden yellow. The head is covered in coarse punctures resembling members of the fugax complex, however only two well-developed clypeal teeth are present. The space between the lateral teeth is relatively long at 0.120 mm. The mesosoma is smooth and shiny, but the petiole and postpetiole have thin striae basally on each node.

Solenopsis conjurata is the only species of thief ant in the molesta species complex that has circular-shaped eyes. This character state will separate it from similar species, such as Solenopsis corticalis, Solenopsis tenuis and Solenopsis texana (the first two species which overlap S. conjurata in distribution).

Keys

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Mexico (Baja California, Chiapas and Nuevo Leon) to Panama (Canal Zone).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 28.87333333° to 18.900093°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Males have yet to be collected.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • conjurata. Solenopsis conjurata Wheeler, W.M. 1925d: 178, fig. 4 (not fig. 8) (w.) PANAMA (Barro Colorado I.).
    • [Note: the drawings of fig. 4 and fig. 8 are transposed in the publication.]
    • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 141), 7 paralectotype workers.
    • [Note: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 141, also mention 3 “cotypes” from the type-series, in LACM, which are also paralectotypes.]
    • Type-locality: lectotype Panama: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado I., 29.vii.1924 (W.M. Wheeler); paralectotypes with same data.
    • Type-depository: MCZC (lectotype); LACM, MCZC (paralectotypes).
    • Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 139 (q.).
    • Status as species: Ettershank, 1966: 140; Kempf, 1972a: 234; Bolton, 1995b: 387; Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 139 (redescription).
    • Distribution: Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=5). TL 1.50-1.62 (1.55); HL 0.408-0.438 (0.431); HW 0.330-0.360 (0.343); EL 0.030-0.036 (0.031); ED 0.024-0.030 (0.029); SL 0.282-0.288 (0.286); FSL 0.120; CI 76.7-83.3 (79.7); SI 64.4-69.1 (66.3); PL 0.084-0.096 (0.090); PW 0.102-0.108 (0.104); PI 77.8-88.9 (86.3); PPL 0.108; PPW 0.120-0.126 (0.121); PPI 85.7-90.0 (89.1); WL 0.300; PSL 0.024-0.030 (0.028); PSW 0.024-0.030 (0.025).

Small, concolorous yellow; head subquadrate, longer than wide; lateral clypeal teeth angular (well developed in some specimens), extralateral teeth absent, but the anterior margin is slightly swollen in the region; clypeal carinae well developed; eyes small, circular; scape short, does not reach posterior margin of head; minor segments 3-8 of funiculus moderately short 0.120 mm; notopropodeal suture weakly depressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; mesopleuron and metapleuron smooth and shiny; posterior propodeal margin rounded; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; petiolar node forming rounded triangle, lacking tooth or flange ventrally; postpetiole rounded, node oval viewed laterally.

Moderately hairy, without sub erect hairs on posterior tibia (most appressed); erect and suberect hairs of various lengths present on most body surfaces, suberect hairs on petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Queen

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=1). TL 4.56; HL 0.690; HW 0.642; EL 0.216; ED 0.18; MOL 0.066; MOD 0.090; SL 0.480; FSL 0.240; CI 93.0; SI 69.6; PSL 0.060; PSW 0.050; PL 0.140; PW 0.300; PI 46.0; PPL 0.270; PPW 0.330; PPI 81.8; WL 0.960.

Moderately large, concolorous golden yellow; head large, subquadrate, wider than long, cephalic punctures coarse, numerous; lateral clypeal teeth well developed; extralateral teeth slightly angulate; clypeal carinae well developed; frontal lobes with vertical striae; scape long, does not reach posterior border of head; minor funicular segments 3-8 long; eyes large, black; medial ocellus large; pronotum with coarse punctures; metapleuron mostly smooth and shiny, faint horizontal striae on metapleuron; posterior propodeal margin with angular ridge; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; petiole and postpetiole with thin striae present basally on nodes, lacking teeth or flange ventrally.

Hairy; head with numerous suberect and erect hairs originating from coarse punctures; long erect and suberect hairs of various lengths covering all body surfaces, hairs on pronotum, petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Type Material

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Panama , Colorado Island, 29-vii-1924, W. M. Wheeler, (lectotype worker and 7 paralectotype workers [here designated], cotype #23232 Museum of Comparative Zoology). Solenopsis conjurata Wheeler, Panama, Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, No. 782, 29-vii-1924, W. M. Wheeler, (3 cotype workers Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
  • Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
  • Pacheco J. A., and W. P. Mackay. 2013. The systematics and biology of the New World thief ants of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 501 pp.
  • Valenzuela-González J., Quiroz-Robledo L. y Martínez-Tlapa D. 2008. Capítulo 8. Hormigas (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). En: Manson R., Hernández-Ortiz V., Gallina S y K. Mehltreter (eds) Agroecosistemas cafetaleros de Veracruz: biodiversidad, manejo y conservación.Instituto de Ecología A.C.-Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE-SEMARNAT). P.107-121. ISBN 970-709-112-6.
  • Vasquez-Bolanos M. 2011. Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mexico. Dugesiana 18(1): 95-133.
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
  • Wheeler W. M. 1925. A new guest-ant and other new Formicidae from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Biological Bulletin (Woods Hole) 49: 150-181.