Solenopsis leptanilloides

Solenopsis leptanilloides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Solenopsis
Species complex:	pygmaea
Species:	S. leptanilloides
Binomial name
Solenopsis leptanilloides Santschi, 1925 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Solenopsis leptanilloides.

Identification

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker This is a very small concolorous pale yellow species. The head is elongate with coarse punctures. The lateral clypeal teeth are angular and the extralateral teeth are absent. The clypeal carinae are nearly absent in this species. The notopropodeal suture is weakly depressed. The postpetiole is oval-shaped when viewed dorsally. Solenopsis leptanilloides could be confused with Solenopsis pygmaea (North America) but can be distinguished by its more elongate head. Additionally S. pygmaea has more developed, sharp lateral clypeal teeth that extend past the anterior clypeal margin, which is easily distinguished from the short, angular clypeal teeth with S. leptanilloides.

Solenopsis leptanilloides may be confused with Solenopsis westwoodi (southern South America), but can be distinguished as it is pale yellow, not medium dark brown as S. westwoodi. Moreover, although S. westwoodi has coarse cephalic punctures, they are scattered and smooth and shiny between, compared to the numerous punctures present in S. leptanilloides. Solenopsis leptanilloides is also similar to Solenopsis dysderces as both species have noticeably elongate heads. Close comparison reveals that S. dysderces has a larger head, in length, width and when measured from the dorsal to ventral surface. Additionally, S. leptanilloides has a noticeably slender body compared to the more robust S. dysderces. Solenopsis dysderces is only known from the mountains of Chile, while S. leptanilloides is found in northeastern Argentina.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Solenopsis pygmaea species complex
• Clave a las obreras del complejo Solenopsis pygmaea

• Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

Distribution

Santa Fe, Rosario, Argentina.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -31.632389° to -31.632389°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (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.

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Lectotype of Solenopsis leptanilloides. Worker. Specimen code casent0103202. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

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

• leptanilloides. Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) leptanilloides Santschi, 1925e: 159, fig. 4a-c (w.) ARGENTINA (Santa Fe).
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 207), 5 paralectotype workers.
  • [Note: original description cites 25 syntype workers.]
  • Type-locality: lectotype Argentina: Santa Fé, Rosario (Hubrich); paralectotypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: NHMB.
  • Status as species: Ettershank, 1966: 141; Kempf, 1972a: 237; Bolton, 1995b: 388; Pall & Quirán, 2009: 381 (redescription); Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 206 (redescription).
  • Distribution: Argentina.

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=6). TL 0.960-l.20 (l.06); HL 0.312-0.360 (0.335); HW 0.240; EL 0.012; ED 0.012; SL 0.180-0.198 (0.183); FSL 0.060-0.066 (0.061); CI 66.7-76.9 (71.9); SI 50.0-60.0 (54.8); PL 0.060-0.084 (0.070); PW 0.072-0.084 (0.077); PI 83.3-100.0 (90.7); PPL 0.066-0.078 (0.072); PPW 0.072-0.102 (0.085); PPI 76.5-92.3 (85.3); WL 0.210-0.240 (0.224); PSL 0.018; PSW 0.018.

Small, concolorous pale yellow; head much longer than wide, with coarse cephalic punctures; lateral clypeal teeth angular, extralateral teeth absent; clypeal carinae nearly absent; scape short, reaches about ¾ length of head; minor funicular segments 3-8 short; mesopleuron smooth and shiny; notopropodeal suture weakly depressed, mesonotum and propodeum on straight line at dorsal mesosomal margin; propodeal spiracle small; posterior propodeal margin rounded; petiole slightly wider than postpetiole viewed laterally, postpetiole oval viewed dorsally.

Not very pilose; head with short (0.006-0.010 mm) erect and suberect hairs; scape pilose with suberect hairs; most suberect hairs on mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Type Material

Argentina, Santa Fe, Rosario (Hubrich), Sammlung, Dr. F. Santschi, Kairouan (lectotype worker and 5 paralectotype workers [here designated] Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel). M.C.Z. Cotype 1-2 21914, Wm. M. Wheeler (2 cotype workers [seen] Museum of Comparative Zoology). Rosario, Argentina, Hubrich (1 cotype worker [seen] Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History).

References

• Pacheco, J.A. & Mackay, W.P. 2013. The systematics and biology of the New World thief ants of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York. 501 pp.
• Santschi, F. 1925h. Formicidae. Mission Rohan-Chabot 4(3 3: 159-168 (page 159, fig. 4 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.
• 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.
• Pall J. L. M., and E. M. Quiran. 2009. Redescripción de la obrera de Solenopsis leptanilloides (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) y primera cita de la provincia de La Pampa (Argentina). Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 68: 381-383.
• Santschi F. 1925. Fourmis des provinces argentines de Santa Fe, Catamarca, Santa Cruz, Córdoba et Los Andes. Comunicaciones del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural "Bernardino Rivadavia" 2: 149-168.
• Ulyssea M. A., C. R. F. Brandao. 2013. Catalogue of Dacetini and Solenopsidini ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Papies Avulsos de Zoologia 53(14): 187-209.
• Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
• Vittar, F., and F. Cuezzo. "Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina." Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina (versión On-line ISSN 1851-7471) 67, no. 1-2 (2008).