Solenopsis nitens

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Sri Lanka.

Nomenclature

 * . Solenopsis nitens Bingham, 1903: 160 (w.) SRI LANKA.
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Sri Lanka (“Ceylon”): Peradeniya, nr Kandy (Green).
 * Type-depository: OXUM.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1911h: 455; Emery, 1922e: 203; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 168; Ettershank, 1966: 142; Bolton, 1995b: 389; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 44; Dias, R.K.S. et al. 2020: 90.
 * Distribution: India, Sri Lanka.

Description
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from Bingham (1903).

Worker

Reddish brown: mandibles, antennae and legs yellow.

Head, thorax and abdomen smooth, polished and shining, without any sculpture; pilosity pale, sparse, most plentiful on the front and on the abdomen. Head proportionately rather large, rectangular, slightly emarginate posteriorly, sides not very convex, very much longer than broad; mandibles rather dull, subopaque, the masticatory margin very oblique, armed with 4 teeth, the apical tooth long and acute; clypeus convex, the two carinae conspicuous, their apices acutely dentate, yellowish in colour; antennae short, the scape not reaching the top of the head; eyes placed below the middle on the sides of the head. Thorax anteriorly very convex; the pro-mesonotum forms a prominent raised convexity, the posterior face of which slopes steeply back to the deeply-marked meso-metanotal suture; viewed in profile, the thorax is deeply emarginate at the suture; basal portion of metanotum strongly compressed, very much narrower than the front portion of the thorax, the apex truncate, the sides not triaugularly produced at the posterior lateral angles as in S. geminata; legs rather slender. Pedicel elongate; the 1st node squamiform, rounded above, much broader than long, with a long petiole anteriorly; 2nd node rounded, as broad as long; abdomen oval.

Length: 1.2 - 1.5 mm.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * D'Cunha P., and V. Mala Grover Nair. 2013. Diversity and Distribution of Ant Fauna in Hejamadi Kodi Sandspit, Udupi District, Karnataka, India. Halteres 4: 33-47.
 * Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
 * Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
 * Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
 * Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
 * Forel A. 1911. Sur le genre Metapone n. g. nouveau groupe des Formicides et sur quelques autres formes nouvelles. Rev. Suisse Zool. 19: 445-459.