Solenopsis iheringi

This species was collected in a humid sub-tropical tall forest edge foraging on the ground in Paraguay.

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Minor worker - This is a bicolored species with a brownish-yellow body and a brown gaster. The lateral and extralateral clypeal teeth are absent. The clypeal carinae extend from the anterior border up around the scape insertion and bend medially back toward the clypeal border, forming a large socket, which does not touch the clypeal margin. Major worker - The major is extremely similar to that of Solenopsis wasmannii. It is a fairly large ant with a reddish-brown body and a yellowish gaster. There are five defined teeth on the anterior margin of the clypeus (with a medial tooth present). The clypeal carinae extend posteriorly between the antennal sockets. The frontal lobes contain vertical striae and cover the antennal insertion. The eyes are moderately large with about ten ommatidia. The mesosoma is coarsely punctated.

Solenopsis iheringi is one of few species of thief ant that is dimorphic. The minor of S. iheringi may be confused with the workers of Solenopsis bicolor (Central and South America), but can be distinguished as the clypeal carinae do not reach the anterior clypeal margin in S. iheringi, but do so in S. bicolor. Moreover, S. bicolor has longer hairs on the dorsum of the head and mesosoma. The major worker is very similar to that of Solenopsis wasmannii (southern half of South America), especially the intermediate workers of the polymorphic species S. wasmannii. If one has a complete series, this species is easily identified based on the lack of teeth on the anterior clypeal borders of the minors of S. iheringi, which are present in minors of S. wasmannii.


 * Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Paraguay.

Castes
Queens have not been collected.

Nomenclature

 *  iheringi. Solenopsis iheringi Forel, 1908c: 362 (w.m.) BRAZIL. [Sometimes misspelled as jheringi, for example Kempf, 1972a: 237.]

Worker
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Minor. Measurements (n=5). TL 1.98-2.16 (2.09); HL 0.528-0.600 (0.571); HW 0.480-0.528 (0.500); EL 0.054-0.060 (0.058); ED 0.048-0.540 (0.148); SL 0.318-0.378 (0.343); FSL 0.126-0.156 (0.143); CI 83.7-90.9 (87.7); SI 56.7-63.0 (60.1); PL 0.078-0.108 (0.102); PW 0.150-0.210 (0.189); PI 51.4-58.1 (53.8); PPL 0.150-0.162 (0.152); PPW 0.174-0.222 (0.206); PPI 67.6-86.2 (74.5); WL 0.390-0.480 (0.451); PSL 0.054; PSW 0.048.

Bicolored, brownish-yellow body, brown gaster; all clypeal teeth absent; clypeal carinae extend from anterior border posteriorly to scape insertion and bend medially back toward anterior clypeal border, forming socket, but do not touch anterior clypeal margin; scape does not reach posterior lateral border of head; minor funicular segments 2-4 slightly swollen; head nearly quadrate; eyes moderately large (approximately seven ommatidia); notopropodeal suture well depressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; propodeum quadrate, posterior propodeal margin angular; petiole and postpetiole thick, with later being slightly thinner when viewed laterally.

Hairy, long erect and suberect hairs present on most body surfaces.

Major. Measurements (n=1). TL 3.24; HL 0.900; HW 0.900; EL 0.108; ED 0.06; SL 0.48; FSL 0.234; CI 100; SI 53.33; PL 0.132; PW 0.348; PI 37.9; PPL 0.240; PPW 0.366; PPI 65.6; WL 0.720; PSL 0.078; PSW 0.060.

Large; bicolored, reddish-brown body, yellowish gaster; five well defined clypeal teeth (with medial tooth present); clypeal carinae extend posteriorly, end between antennal sockets; frontal lobes contain vertical striae and cover antennal insertions; head subquadrate, rounded posteriorly, coarsely punctate, with medial emargination; scapes short, thick, only reach halfway to posterior of head; eyes moderately large with approximately ten ommatidia; mesosoma coarsely punctate, especially pronotum; notopropodeal suture depressed; groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma giving well defined separation between mesonotum and propodeum; fine horizontal striae just below propodeal spiracle, which is large and circular; propodeum angulate posteriorly; petiole, postpetiole coarsely punctate with postpetiole slightly wider in profile; anterior and posterior faces of petiole nearly parallel forming slender node; subpeduncular process lacks tooth, but bump present; postpetiole circular in profile; petiole and postpetiole nearly equal in width in dorsal view; first tergite of gaster coarsely punctate.

Abundant hair on all body surfaces; majority of body hair erect to suberect and nearly uniform in length on all body structures; most pilosity arising from coarse punctures present from head to first tergite of gaster.

Type Material
Brazil, Sao Paulo, Typus, 2306 (lhering) (lectotype worker and 1 paralectotype [here designated] top one pinned, ).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Forel A. 1908. Ameisen aus Sao Paulo (Brasilien), Paraguay etc. gesammelt von Prof. Herm. v. Ihering, Dr. Lutz, Dr. Fiebrig, etc. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 58: 340-418.
 * Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
 * Luederwaldt H. 1918. Notas myrmecologicas. Rev. Mus. Paul. 10: 29-64.
 * 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.
 * Pacheco R., and H. L. Vasconcelos. 2012. Subterranean Pitfall Traps: Is ItWorth Including Them in Your Ant Sampling Protocol? Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/870794
 * 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.