Solenopsis aurea

This species is found mainly in desert and dry grassland regions across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico (Trager, 1991). Colonies are often found under stones (or other objects, such as pieces of wood or cow manure) in loam or coarse gravely soils or in soil surrounded by a small mound. Dealate females have been collected in July and August (Mackay and Mackay 2002). In Nevada Cole (1966) found colonies to be small and few.

Identification
A member of the Solenopsis geminata species-group.

Workers lighter in color with a light colored gaster, often with brown patches. The eyes are small (about 50 ommatidia in the major, 20 in the minor), being separated from the insertion of the mandibles by about twice the maximum diameter of the eyes. The majors have lateral teeth on the clypeus. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Distribution
United States: California east to Texas. Mexico: Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Zacatecas.

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

Habitat
Chihuahuan Desert in a variety of habitats (black grama grassland, creosotebush scrub, mesquite and thorn scrub), as well as in urban habitats. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Nomenclature

 * . Solenopsis geminata var. aurea Wheeler, W.M. 1906d: 336 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. (Texas, California, Arizona).
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: U.S.A.: Texas, Mt Bonnel, nr Austin (W.M. Wheeler).
 * Type-depositories: LACM, MCZC.
 * Crozier, 1970: 116 (k.).
 * Subspecies of geminata: Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 425; Ettershank, 1966: 139 (error).
 * Subspecies of xyloni: Creighton, 1930b: 103; Cole, 1937a: 99; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 812.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1909a: 269; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 563; Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 394; Emery, 1922e: 196; Creighton, 1950a: 230; Cole, 1953g: 299; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 129; Snelling, R.R. 1963: 6; Cole, 1966: 16 (in key); Smith, M.R. 1967: 357; Kempf, 1972a: 233; Hunt & Snelling, 1975: 22; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1385; Snelling, R.R. & George, 1979:133; Dlussky, 1981a: 48; Allred, 1982: 504; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 50; Trager, 1991: 169 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 386; Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 228; Ward, 2005: 67.
 * Senior synonym of huachucana: Trager, 1991: 170; Bolton, 1995b: 386.
 * Distribution: Mexico, U.S.A.
 * huachucana. Solenopsis huachucana Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 393 (w.q.) U.S.A. (Arizona).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated, “numerous”), 2 syntype queens.
 * Type-locality: U.S.A: Arizona, Huachuca Mts, Miller Cañon, ca 5500 ft (W.M. Wheeler).
 * Type-depositories: LACM, MCZC.
 * Combination in S. (Euophthalma): Creighton, 1930b: 118.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1922e: 197; Creighton, 1930b: 118 (redescription); Cole, 1937a: 99; Creighton, 1950a: 233; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 813; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 129; Ettershank, 1966: 141; Hunt & Snelling, 1975: 22; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1386.
 * Junior synonym of aurea: Trager, 1991: 170; Bolton, 1995b: 388.



References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
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 * Cole A. C., Jr. 1953. Studies of New Mexico ants. VI. The genera Monomorium, Solenopsis, Myrmecina, and Trachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). [part]. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 28: 299-300.
 * Cover S. P., and R. A. Johnson. 20011. Checklist of Arizona Ants. Downloaded on January 7th at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/AZants-2011%20updatev2.pdf
 * Creighton W. S. 1930. The New World species of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenop. Formicidae). Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 66: 39-151.
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 * Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
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 * Mackay, W.P. and E. *Mackay, W. P. and E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY.
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 * Nash M. S., W. G. Whitford, J. Van Zee, and K. M. Havstad. 2000. Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) responses to environmental stressors in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. Environ. Entomol, 29(2): 200-206.
 * Ness, J.H., W.F. Morris and J.L. Bronstein. 2006. Integrating Quality and Quantity of Mutualistic Service to Contrast Ant Species Protecting Ferocactus Wislizeni. Ecology 87(4):912-921
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 * Quiroz Robledo L. N., and J. E. Valenzuela Gonzalez. 1993. Contribucion al conocimiento de la mirmecofauna del estado de Hidalgo, Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). En: Villavicencio-Nieto (ed) Flora y Fauna del Estado de Hidalgo. Universidad Autónoma de Hidalgo. p. 340-393. ISBN 968-63 40-36-X
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 * Snelling R. R. 1963. The United States species of fire ants of the genus Solenopsis, subgenus Solenopsis Westwood, with synonymy of Solenopsis aurea Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). California Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Entomology. Occasional Papers 3: 1-15.
 * Trager J. C. 1991. A revision of the fire ants, Solenopsis geminata group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 99: 141-198
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 * Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24: 399-485.
 * Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.
 * Whitford W. G. 1978. Structure and seasonal activity of Chihuahua desert ant communities. Insectes Sociaux 25(1): 79-88.