Solenopsis kochi

Solenopsis kochi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Solenopsis
Species:	S. kochi
Binomial name
	Solenopsis kochi; Finzi, 1936 Specimen Labels

Known only from the type material, nothing is known about the biology of Solenopsis kochi.

Identification

Sharaf et al. (2009) - As stated in the original description, the head is not much longer than broad with slightly convex sides (Finzi, 1936). This is the most distinctive character for separating this species from Solenopsis orbula. The lateral margin of the head in S. kochi clearly is convex while it is straight in S. orbula. Consequently, the head is broader in S. kochi (HW 0.41 versus HW 0.32 in S. orbula). In addition, it was found that S. kochi is consistently larger than S. orbula (TL 2.0 versus TL 1.4). Moreover, the scape length in S. kochi is somewhat longer than in S. orbula (SL 0.3 versus SL 0.2).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 31.566667° to 29.85°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Egypt (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Cotype of Solenopsis kochi. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0913596. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MNHN, Paris, France.

Male


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Nomenclature

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

kochi. Solenopsis orbula subsp. kochi Finzi, 1936: 178, fig. 8 (w.q.m.) EGYPT.
- Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
- Type-localities: workers Egypt: Sollum, 23.iii.1933 (K. Koch), queens, males Egypt: Helwan (W. Wittmer), 1 queen Egypt: Ikingi Mariout, 18.iii.1935 (A. Schatzmayr, K. Koch, W. Wittmer), queens Egypt: Cairo, 12.ii.1933 (A. Schatzmayr, K. Koch, W. Wittmer).
- Type-depository: MCZC.
- Subspecies of orbula: Ettershank, 1966: 141; Bolton, 1995b: 388.
- Status as species: Sharaf, Taylor & Klingenberg, 2009: 55 (redescription); Vonshak, et al. 2009: 44; Sharaf & Aldawood, 2011: 478 (in key); Sharaf & Aldawood, 2012: 19 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 155.
- Distribution: Egypt, Israel.

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

Description

Sharaf et al. (2009):

Worker

Syntype. TL 2.0, HL 0.48, HW 0.41, SL 0.30, EL 0.02, AL 0.54, SI 73, CI 85.

Head not much longer than broad with slightly convex sides. Occipital margin straight with rounded corners. Head dorsum smooth and shining. Mandibles unsculptured, smooth and shining with long yellow hairs and brown teeth. Anterior clypeal margin with the median portion narrowly concave and with a lateral pair of short, broad basal teeth. Eyes minute, with a single facet set laterally well below midline of head and about 0.04 times the head width. Mesosoma with a distinct metanotal groove. Basal face of propodeum not forming an angle with the declivity. All parts of the head and body with abundant, scattered, long yellow hairs. Colour uniformly yellow. The badly mounted type specimen does not show clearly the characters of the petiole and the postpetiole.

Queen

TL 5.7, HL 0.76, HW 0.70, SL 0.54, EL 0.25, AL 1.47, SI 77, CI 92.

Head slightly longer than broad with its dorsum smooth and shining with abundant scattered yellow hair pits. Anterior clypeal margin weakly concave. First funicular segment longer than the three following funicular segments together. Eyes large and oval with 17 facets in the longest row. Ocelli oval, the anterior one distinctly larger than the posterior ones. Occipital margin straight with rounded corners. Metanotal groove distinct. Head, mandibular teeth, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole dark brown; gaster and mandibles light brown; antennae and legs yellow. Whole body smooth and shining with scattered yellow hairs.

Male

TL 4.36, HL 0.63, HW 0.68, SL 0.26, EL 0.26, AL 1.54, SI 38, CI 108.

Head broader than long with strongly curved sides; above the eyes smooth and shiny; areas in front of eyes, between frontal lobes and between posterior ocelli distinctly rugulose. Mandibles narrow, armed with three teeth. Antennae 13-segmented, scapes long, about 3.7 times longer than broad; first funiculus segment relatively long, 1.6 times longer than broad and thick at its distal end; the following segments are clearly longer than broad, increasing in length toward the end of the funiculus. Dorsum with scattered, long yellow hairs. Mesosoma smooth and shining with scattered long yellow hairs. Petiolar node in profile rounded. Gastral tergites with a few scattered yellow hairs that are abundant at the posterior margins.

Type Material

Syntype worker, EGYPT : Soloum (Salloum), 23.iii.1933, 31.31ºN; 25.09º E (C. Koch); Syntype males, Helouan (Helwan, Cairo), 27.iii.1933, 29.51º N; 31.20º E (W. Wittmer); Syntype gynes, Marsa Matrouh, 21.iii.1933 (unknown collector); Ikingi Mariout, 18.iii.1935, 31.01º N; 29.48º E; Cairo, 12.ii.1933 (Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].

Solenopsis kochi was described from workers, gynes and males collected by C. Koch, W. Wittmer and an unknown person from different localities including Salloum, Heluan, Ikingi Mariut, Marsa Matrouh and Cairo (Finzi, 1936)

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
Finzi, B. "Risultati scientifici della spedizione di S. A. S. il Principe Alessandro della Torre e Tasso nell'Egitto e peninsola del Sinai. XI. Formiche." Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 20 (1936): 155-210.
Sharaf M. R., B. Taylor, and C. Klingenberg. 2009. Ants of the genus Solenopsis Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Egypt with a description of the worker castes of S. cooperi Donisthorpe, 1947. Zootaxa 2004: 49-58.
Sharaf M. R., and A. S. Aldawood. 2012. Ants of the genus Solenopsis Westwood 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Arabian Peninsula with description of a new species, Solenopsis elhawagryi. PLoS ONE 7(11): e49485. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049485