Solenopsis nickersoni

Solenopsis nickersoni was collected by subterranean trap at Gainesville Airport, Florida (Thompson 1989). Additionally, this species can be found in Oak Hickory scrub in Florida.

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - This is a small, medium brown ant with pale yellow legs and antennae. There are suberect hairs on the head that are pointing to the midline of the head. The lateral clypeal teeth are well developed and the extralateral teeth are absent. All body surfaces are smooth and shiny. Both the petiolar peduncle and postpetiole are lacking a tooth are flange ventrally.

Solenopsis nickersoni is essentially identical to Solenopsis castor, differing only in being slightly smaller. It will continue to be considered a valid species until the female can be compared with the female of S. castor. It can be easily separated at the present time, as it occurs in Florida, whereas S. castor is not known from Florida, although it occurs nearby in the Antilles Islands and in Mexico south to Bolivia It would be unlikely that this species would be confused with any others in Florida, based on the color.

Keys

 * Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes
 * Key to Solenopsis molesta species complex / Clave a las obreras del complejo Solenopsis molesta

Distribution
Florida.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.

Castes
Males have yet to be collected.

Nomenclature

 *  nickersoni. Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) nickersoni Thompson, 1982: 486, fig. 1 (w.) U.S.A. Thompson, 1989: 281 (q.).

Worker
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=5). TL 1.14-1.50 (1.34); HL 0.390-0.408 (0.394); HW 0.312-0.336 (0.323); EL 0.036-0.042 (0.037); ED 0.030-0.036 (0.031); SL 0.252-0.288 (0.265); FSL 0.102-0.120 (0.109); CI 79.4-86.2 (82.0); SI 64.6-70.6 (67.3); PL 0.060; PW 0.084-0.090 (0.089); PI 66.7-71.4 (67.6); PPL 0.078-0.102 (0.092); PPW 0.108-0.120 (0.115); PPI 72.2-85.0 (80.0); WL 0.276-0.300 (0.288); PSL 0.024-0.030 (0.029); PSW 0.024-0.030 (0.029).

Small, medium brown, with pale appendages; head quadrate, longer than wide; clypeallateral teeth well developed, extralateral teeth absent; clypeal carinae well defined; frontal lobes vertically striated; scape long, reaching ¾ length of head to posterior lateral corner; eyes small, five ommatidia; mesosoma smooth and shiny; posterior propodeal margin rounded; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; petiolar node rounded triangular, peduncle without tooth or flange ventrally; postpetiolar node oval viewed laterally.

Moderately hairy, yellow pilosity; erect and suberect hairs of various lengths covering all body surfaces; suberect hairs on head pointed to midline of head; suberect hairs of arious lengths on mesosoma (longest 0.120 mm); suberect hairs on petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Type Material
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Florida, Alachua. Co., Gainesville Airport, 7-x-1979, Trap 53, Col. C. R. Thompson, Thompson 1982 (3 paratype workers [seen] ).