Wasmannia auropunctata

Distribution
This taxon was described from Cuba.It is also found in New Caledonia, Ecuador, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay, French Guiana, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, United States, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Israel, Gabon, Vanuatu, Saint Lucia and Barbados.

Nomenclature

 *  auropunctata. Tetramorium auropunctatum Roger, 1863a: 182 (w.q.m.) CUBA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1954d: 444 (l.). Combination in Ochetomyrmex: Forel, 1886b: xlix; in Wasmannia: Forel, 1893g: 383. Senior synonym of atomum: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 912; of glabra: Kempf, 1964e: 66; of panamana: Brown, 1948d: 102; of australis, laevifrons, nigricans, obscura, pulla, rugosa: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * rugosa. Ochetomyrmex auropunctatus var. rugosus Forel, 1886b: xlix (w.) GUATEMALA. Santschi, 1929d: 299 (q.m.). Combination in Wasmannia: Forel, 1901c: 128. Subspecies of auropunctata: Emery, 1888c: 353. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * australis. Wasmannia auropunctata var. australis Emery, 1894c: 193 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * laevifrons. Wasmannia auropunctata var. laevifrons Emery, 1894c: 193 (w.) BOLIVIA. Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 36 (q.). Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * nigricans. Wasmannia auropunctata var. nigricans Emery, 1906c: 160 (w.) PARAGUAY. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * obscura. Wasmannia auropunctata var. obscura Forel, 1912g: 1 (w.) COLOMBIA. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 276.
 * atomum. Xiphomyrmex atomum Santschi, 1914d: 370 (w.) GABON. Combination in Wasmannia: Santschi, 1916b: 504. Subspecies of auropunctata: Santschi, 1916b: 504. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 912.
 * weiseri. Wasmannia sulcaticeps var. weiseri Forel, 1914d: 281 (q.m.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 281.
 * glabra. Wasmannia glabra Santschi, 1931c: 272 (q.) FRENCH GUIANA. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Kempf, 1964e: 66.
 * pulla. Wasmannia auropunctata st. pulla Santschi, 1931c: 272 (w.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Longino & Fernández, 2007: 277.
 * panamana. Hercynia panamana Enzmann, J. 1947a: 44, pl. 5 (w.q.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of auropunctata: Brown, 1948d: 102.

Additional References

 * Fasi, J., Brodie, G. & Vanderwoude, C. 2013. Increases in crop pests caused by Wasmannia auropunctata in Solomon Islands subsistence gardens. Journal of Applied Entomology (doi: 10.1111/jen.12033).
 * Mikheyev, A.S. & Mueller, U.G. 2007. Genetic relationships between native and introduced populations of the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata. Diversity and Distributions, 13, 573–579.
 * Rey, O., Estoup, A., Vonshak, M., Loiseau, A., Blanchet, S., Calcaterra, L., Chifflet, L., Rossi, J.-P., Kergoat, G.J., Foucaud, J., Orivel, J., Leponce, M., Schultz, T. & Facon, B. 2012. Where do adaptive shifts occur during invasion? A multidisciplinary approach to unravelling cold adaptation in a tropical ant species invading the Mediterranean area. Ecology Letters 15, 1266–1275.