Solenopsis stricta

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Solenopsis stricta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Solenopsis
Species complex: stricta
Species: S. stricta
Binomial name
Solenopsis stricta
Emery, 1896

Solenopsis stricta casent0178147 profile 1.jpg

Solenopsis stricta casent0178147 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

Solenopsis stricta was collected in humid, subtropical, inundated low forest, nesting in a twig in Paraguay. This species was collected at 600 m in a primary tropical rainforest nesting in a dead twig, in a pasture of Psidium guayaba at 500 m and in secondary growth forest in a recent tree fall at 650 m in Ecuador.

Identification

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Worker - This is a golden brown species with smooth sculpture. The head is nearly quadrate, the clypeus is concave, the clypeal carinae are well developed and form the lateral teeth as small angles. The eyes contain approximately 3-5 ommatidia. The minor funicular segments 3-8 are very long, occasionally reaching 0.180 mm in total length. Additionally, there are thin horizontal striae present on the base of the propodeum just below the spiracle. The propodeal spiracle is large at 0.042 mm at its widest point. The distinguishing feature of this species is the very wide petiole that has an arched node viewed laterally. The petiole is very thin and the postpetiole is oval-shaped when seen from above. Queen - The queen is small and concolorous dark brown. An important characteristic on the gyne is the wide space (0.138 mm) between the tips of the lateral clypeal teeth. The scape is long and nearly reach the posterior border of the head. The medial ocellus is small at 0.048 mm in diameter. The metapleuron and the sides of the petiole and postpetiole are horizontally striated.

Solenopsis stricta is similar to Solenopsis hayemi and the distinguishing characteristic is the thickness of the petiolar node viewed from above. Solenopsis stricta is consistently thinner than the thicker, more robust node of S. hayemi and easily distinguished.

Keys

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 0.133333333° to -27.22555556°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Bolivia (type locality), Brazil (type locality), Colombia (type locality), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru.

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.

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Solenopsis stricta foederata casent0103204 head 1.jpgSolenopsis stricta foederata casent0103204 profile 1.jpgSolenopsis stricta foederata casent0103204 dorsal 1.jpgSolenopsis stricta foederata casent0103204 label 1.jpg
Type of unavailable quadrinomial: Solenopsis stricta foederata specularisWorker. Specimen code casent0103204. 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.

  • stricta. Solenopsis stricta Emery, 1896g: 90, pl. 1, fig. 15 (w.) BOLIVIA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Bolivia: (no further data).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1922e: 201; Ettershank, 1966: 143; Kempf, 1972a: 240; Bolton, 1995b: 391; Wild, 2007b: 37; Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303 (redescription); Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 122; Fernández & Serna, 2019: 816.
    • Senior synonym of antoniensis: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303.
    • Senior synonym of foederata: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303.
    • Material of the unavailable name specularis referred here by Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303.
    • Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru.
  • antoniensis. Solenopsis laeviceps var. antoniensis Forel, 1912g: 5 (w.) COLOMBIA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Colombia: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, >1000 m. (A.Forel).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Subspecies of laeviceps: Emery, 1922e: 200; Ettershank, 1966: 139; Kempf, 1972a: 237; Bolton, 1995b: 386.
    • Junior synonym of stricta: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303.
  • foederata. Solenopsis stricta st. foederata Santschi, 1923c: 255 (w.q.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype queen.
    • Type-locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina, Blumenau (Witte).
    • Type-depositories: MCZC, NHMB.
    • Subspecies of stricta: Borgmeier, 1927c: 107; Ettershank, 1966: 140; Kempf, 1972a: 240; Bolton, 1995b: 387.
    • Junior synonym of stricta: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 303.

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=13). TL 1.80-2.04 (1.94); HL 0.480-0.540 (0.512); HW 0.426-0.480 (0.451); EL 0.048-0.054 (0.050); ED 0.030-0.036 (0.035); SL 0.342-0.396 (0.364); FSL 0.150-0.180 (0.163); CI 83.5-94.1 (88.1); SI 67.1-75.0 (71.1); PL 0.108-0.150 (0.124); PW 0.078-0.102 (0.089); PI 118-167 (139); PPL 0.120; PPW 0.126-0.150 (0.139); PPJ 80.0-95.2 (86.6); WL 0.360-0.408 (0.378); PSL 0.030-0.054 (0.041); PSW 0.030-0.042 (0.036).

Small, golden brown; head longer than wide, with convex lateral margins; lateral clypeal teeth angulate, extralateral teeth as bumps; clypeal carinae well defined; eyes small, 3-5 ommatidia; scape long, extends more than 3/4 length of head; notopropodeal suture deeply impressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; pronotum and mesopleuron smooth and shiny; metapleuron horizontally striated; propodeum with posterior margin angulate, distinguishing a posterior slope; propodeal spiracle large; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally, petiolar node arched, peduncle lacking tooth or flange ventrally; postpetiolar node oval, lacking tooth or flange ventrally; petiole thin and postpetiole oval viewed dorsally.

Moderately hairy; erect and sub erect hairs of various lengths covering body surfaces; mesosomal hairs long (up to 0.180 mm); hairs on petiole, postpetiole, gaster curve posteriorly.

Queen

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=4). TL 3.36-3.72 (3.60); HL 0.642-0.648 (0.644); HW 0.600; EL 0.162-0.168 (0.167); ED 0.150; MOL 0.042; MOD 0.048-0.054 (0.050); SL 0.438-0.462 (0.450); FSL 0.240-0.276 (0.252); CJ 92.6-93.5 (93.2); SI 68.2-71.3 (69.9); PSL 0.072-0.084 (0.075); PSW 0.066-0.072 (0.068); PL 0.162-0.168 (0.167); PW 0.216-0.222 (0.219); PI 75.0-77.8 (76.0); PPL 0.156; PPW 0.276-0.300 (0.285); PPI 52.0-56.5 (54.8); WL 0.810-0.840 (0.833).

Small, concolorous dark brown; head longer than wide, coarse punctures scattered; lateral clypeal teeth angulate, space between tips of teeth wide at 0.138 mm; extralateral teeth absent; clypeal carinae well defined; eyes large; medial ocellus small; scape long, nearly reaching posterior border of head; pronotum coarsely punctate, smooth and shiny between punctures; mesopleuron smooth and shiny; posterior propodeal margin rounded; propodeal spiracle large, circular; metapleuron horizontally striated; petiolar node arched, wide, horizontally striated with scattered punctures, peduncle lacking tooth or flange ventrally; postpetiolar node oval, horizontally striated with scattered punctures, lacking tooth or flange ventrally.

Abundantly hairy, pilosity yellow; erect and suberect hairs of various lengths on all body surfaces; long hairs (up to 0.240 mm) on head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and first tergum of gaster; hairs on petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Type Material

Colombia, (lectotype worker and an additional 11 paralectotype workers [here designated] Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna). Solenopsis laeviceps antoniensis, Colombia, St Antonio, Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève). Solenopsis stricta foederata , Cotype Wm M. Wheeler, M.C.Z. Cotype Brazil, Blumenau (Cotype 1-3 20941, seen Museum of Comparative Zoology). Solenopsis stricta foederata specularis, Cotype, Wm M. Wheeler M.C.Z, Brazil, Blumenau (Cotype 1-5 20940 MCZC). S. stricta foederata 177, Brazil, S.C. Blumenau Witte, Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi Kairouan (lectotype worker and 10 paralectotype workers [here designated] Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel). S. stricta foederata specularis 177, Brazil, S.C. Blumenau Witte Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi Kairouan (lectotype worker and 15 paralectotype workers [here designated] NHMB).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bezdeckova K., P. Bedecka, and I. Machar. 2015. A checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Zootaxa 4020 (1): 101–133.
  • Emery C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XVII-XXV. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 28: 33-107.
  • 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., E. E. Palacio, W. P. Mackay, and E. S. MacKay. 1996. Introducción al estudio de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Colombia. Pp. 349-412 in: Andrade M. G., G. Amat García, and F. Fernández. (eds.) 1996. Insectos de Colombia. Estudios escogidos. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 541 pp
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
  • Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part IV. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (suite). Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 1-32.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Lutinski J. A., B. C. Lopes, and A. B. B.de Morais. 2013. Diversidade de formigas urbanas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de dez cidades do sul do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 13(3): 332-342.
  • 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.
  • Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.
  • Santschi F. 1923. Solenopsis et autres fourmis néotropicales. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 30: 245-273.
  • 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.
  • Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.