Solenopsis tennesseensis

Solenopsis tennesseensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Solenopsis
Species complex:	pygmaea
Species:	S. tennesseensis
Binomial name
Solenopsis tennesseensis Smith, M.R., 1951 Specimen labels
Synonyms
Solenopsis longiceps Smith, M.R., 1943

Solenopsis tennesseensis nests under stones as well as in the soil. Areas with dense populations have about five nests per square meter (unpublished data). This species is generally completely subterranean and can usually be collected only with subterranean Vienna sausage baits. Occasionally S. tennesseensis can be found in extractions of leaf litter. It is found in habitats ranging from urban lawns to thorn shrubland. (Pacheco and Mackay 2013)

Identification

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - The head is elongate and flat dorsally. The anterior clypeal margin has well developed lateral teeth, but the extralateral position carries only bumps. This species is very hairy, with erect and suberect hairs on all body surfaces. The minor funicular segments are short at 0.079 mm in total length. The eyes are minute and light brown, with at least one ommatidium.

The length and form of the gastral hairs separate this species from similar species that have shorter hairs (less than 0.050 mm) such as Solenopsis pygmaea, Solenopsis minutissima and those with short minor funicular segments such as Solenopsis subterranea. The workers of S. tennesseensis are especially difficult to distinguish from the workers of S. pygmaea, differing in being slightly larger and slightly less hairy.

Keys including this Species

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

• Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.58333° to 17.972222°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

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

Atchison & Lucky (2022) found that this species does not remove seeds.

Flight Period

						X
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

• Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.

 Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0104524. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA.

Male

Images from AntWeb

Male (alate). Specimen code casent0104511. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA.

Nomenclature

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

• longiceps. Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) longiceps Smith, M.R. 1943a: 210 (w.) U.S.A. (Tennessee, Mississippi).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 33 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype U.S.A.: Tennessee, Hamilton County, 24.iv.1939, no. 13795 (W.F. Turner); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depositories: USNM (holotype); MCZC, USNM (paratypes).
  • [Junior primary homonym of Solenopsis longiceps Forel, 1907b: 202.]
  • Status as species: Creighton, 1950a: 236; Wilson, 1964b: 8 (error).
  • Replacement name: Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) tennesseensis: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 814.
• tennesseensis. Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) tennesseensis Smith, M.R. 1951a: 814.
  • Replacement name for Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) longiceps Smith, M.R. 1943a: 210. [Junior primary homonym of Solenopsis longiceps Forel, 1907b: 202.]
  • Status as species: Ettershank, 1966: 143; Smith, M.R. 1967: 358; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1388; Thompson, 1989: 271 (in key); Thompson & Johnson, 1989: 698 (in key); Deyrup, et al. 1989: 96; Bolton, 1995b: 391; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 233; Deyrup, 2003: 47; MacGown & Forster, 2005: 70; Ward, 2005: 67; Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 320 (redescription); Deyrup, 2017: 112.
  • Distribution: Mexico, U.S.A.

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 1.08-1.50 (1.30); HL 0.360-0.390 (0.366); HW 0.252-0.282 (0.269); EL 0.024-0.030 (0.029); ED 0.024-0.030 (0.025); SL 0.210-0.240 (0.226); FSL 0.072-0.102 (0.079); CI 70.0-75.0 (73.5); SI 58.3-66.7 (61.6); PL 0.060-0.078 (0.071); PW 0.090-0.108 (0.103); PI 58.8-72.2 (68.4); PPL 0.078-0.108 (0.097); PPW 0.102-0.120 (0.114); PPI 72.2-90.0 (85.1); WL 0.222-0.282 (0.254); PSL 0.024-0.030 (0.028); PSW 0.024.

Head elongate, much longer than wide, flat dorsoventrally; lateral clypeal teeth well developed; extralateral teeth present as bumps; clypeal carinae weakly developed; scape short, barely reaching past half length of head; minor segments of funiculus 3-8 short; eyes small, round, light brown, one ommatidium; notopropodeal suture weakly depressed; mesopleuron lacking striae; metapleuron with horizontal striae; propodeal spiracle small; peduncle short; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; postpetiole with rounded node (viewed dorsally); gaster flat, elongate.

Hairy, suberect hairs on head same length; mandibles very hairy with suberect hairs; gaster hairy, hairs on dorsum of first tergum scattered, of various lengths (longest hairs approximately 0.050 mm).

Type Material

Tennessee, Hamilton Co., Smith (paratype #563441, seen Museum of Comparative Zoology and #28092, seen National Museum of Natural History).

References

• Atchison, R. A., Lucky, A. 2022. Diversity and resilience of seed-removing ant species in Longleaf Sandhill to frequent fire. Diversity 14, 1012 (doi:10.3390/d14121012).
• Deyrup, M.A., Carlin, N., Trager, J., Umphrey, G. 1988. A review of the ants of the Florida Keys. Florida Entomologist 71: 163-176.
• Forel, A. 1907e. Fourmis nouvelles de Kairouan et d'Orient. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 51: 201-208 (page 202, Junior primary homonym of longiceps)
• Ipser, R.M., Brinkman, M.A., Gardner, W.A., Peeler, H.B. 2004. A survey of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Georgia. Florida Entomologist 87: 253-260.
• MacGown, J.A., Booher, D., Richter, H., Wetterer, J.K., Hill, J.G. 2021. An updated list of ants of Alabama (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with new state records. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 147: 961-981 (doi:10.3157/061.147.0409).
• Mackay, W. P. and E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY.
• 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.
• Smith, M. R. 1943a [1942]. A new North American Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 45: 209-211 (page 210, replacement name for longiceps)
• Smith, M. R. 1951c. Family Formicidae. Pp. 778-875 in: Muesebeck, C. F., Krombein, K. V., Townes, H. K. (eds.) Hymenoptera of America north of Mexico. Synoptic catalogue. U. S. Dep. Agric. Agric. Monogr. 2:1-1420. (page 814, replacement name for longiceps)
• Thompson, C. R.; Johnson, C. 1989. Rediscovered species and revised key to the Florida thief ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Fla. Entomol. 72: 697-698 (page 698, see also)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Annotated Ant Species List Ordway-Swisher Biological Station. Downloaded at http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu/species/os-hymenoptera.htm on 5th Oct 2010.
• Clouse R. 1999. Leaf-Litter Inhabitants of a Brazilian Pepper Stand in Everglades National Park. The Florida Entomologist. 82: 388-403
• Dash S. T. and L. M. Hooper-Bui. 2008. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Louisiana. Conservation Biology and Biodiversity. 101: 1056-1066
• Del Toro, I., M. Vázquez, W.P. Mackay, P. Rojas and R. Zapata-Mata. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Tabasco: explorando la diversidad de la mirmecofauna en las selvas tropicales de baja altitud. Dugesiana 16(1):1-14.
• Deyrup M., C. Johnson, G. C. Wheeler, J. Wheeler. 1989. A preliminary list of the ants of Florida. Florida Entomologist 72: 91-101
• Deyrup M., L. Deyrup, and J. Carrel. 2013. Ant Species in the Diet of a Florida Population of Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toads, Gastrophryne carolinensis. Southeastern Naturalist 12(2): 367-378.
• Deyrup, M. and J. Trager. 1986. Ants of the Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 69(1):206-228
• Forster J.A. 2005. The Ants (hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama. Master of Science, Auburn University. 242 pages.
• Guénard B., K. A. Mccaffrey, A. Lucky, and R. R. Dunn. 2012. Ants of North Carolina: an updated list (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3552: 1-36.
• MacGown J. A., J. G. Hill, R. L. Brown, T. L. Schiefer, J. G. Lewis. 2012. Ant diversity at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Oktibbeha, Noxubee, and Winston Counties, Mississippi. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletin 1197: 1-30
• MacGown J. A., J. G. Hill, and M. Deyrup. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Little Ohoopee River Dunes, Emanuel County, Georgia. J. Entomol. Sci. 44(3): 193-197.
• MacGown, J.A and J.A. Forster. 2005. A preliminary list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama, U.S.A. Entomological News 116(2):61-74
• MacGown, J.A., J.G. Hill, R.L. Brown and T.L. 2009. Ant Diversity at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Oktibbeha, Noxubee, and Winston Counties, Mississippi Report #2009-01. Schiefer. 2009.
• Mackay W. P. and Mackay, E. E. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
• Moreau C. S., M. A. Deyrup, and L. R. David Jr. 2014. Ants of the Florida Keys: Species Accounts, Biogeography, and Conservation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Insect Sci. 14(295): DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieu157
• O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
• Oyama L., J. R. King, and D. G. Jenkins. 2018. Diversity and distribution of Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) thief ants belowground. Myrmecological News 27: 47-57.
• 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.
• Smith M. R. 1943. A new North American Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 45: 209-211.
• Thompson C. R., and C. Johnson. 1989. Rediscovered species and revised key to the Florida thief ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 72: 697-698.
• 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, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.