Solenopsis westwoodi

Solenopsis westwoodi was collected in the nest of Atta (Acromyrmex) lundii in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Forel 1912).

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - The worker is small and medium brown. The lateral and extralateral clypeal teeth are well developed. The head is coarsely punctate and the mesopleuron is mostly smooth and glossy. Queen - The queen is relatively large and golden brown with yellowish appendages. The frontal lobes are vertically striated. The ocelli as well as the propodeal spiracle are small.

It would be unlikely to confuse this species with any other South American species of the fugax complex, as the head is predominately smooth and shiny, with many scattered, semi-coarse punctures and the hairs on the mesosoma are of different lengths. It is also a medium brown ant, which is unusual for the fugax species complex.


 * Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

Distribution
Argentina, (Buenos Aires, Saladillo, Villa Catalina); Paraguay; Brazil (types without locality).

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

Nomenclature

 *  westwoodi. Solenopsis westwoodi Forel, 1894b: 100 (w.) BRAZIL. Senior synonym of atticola, platensis: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 356.
 * atticola. Solenopsis westwoodi var. atticola Forel, 1912g: 7 (w.) ARGENTINA. Santschi, 1929d: 298 (q.). Junior synonym of westwoodi: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 356.
 * platensis. Solenopsis westwoodi var. platensis Emery, 1906c: 125, fig. 7 (w.q.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of westwoodi: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 356.

Worker
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=5). TL 1.44-1.56 (1.49); HL 0.408-0.420 (0.413); HW 0.360-0.390 (0.369); EL 0.036; ED 0.030; SL 0.264-0.270 (0.269); FSL 0.108-0.114 (0.113); CI 88.2-92.9 (89.5); SI 64.3-66.2 (65.1); PL 0.084; PW 0.132-0.144 (0.139); PI 58.3-63.6 (60.4); PPL 0.120; PPW 0.132-0.138 (0.136); PPI 86.9-90.9 (88.5); WL 0.324-0.330 (0.326); PSL 0.024-0.030 (0.029); PSW 0.024-0.030 (0.026).

Small, concolorous medium brown, head longer than wide, coarsely punctate; lateral and extralateral teeth well developed; clypeal carinae well developed; scape does not reach posterior lateral corner of head; eyes small, 3-5 ommatidia; notopropodeal suture well depressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; mesopleuron mostly smooth and glossy; thin striae on metapleuron; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes robust, petiole slightly wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; small tooth present at subpeduncular process; postpetiole lacking tooth or flange ventrally.

Hairy, scape and head have numerous erect and suberect hairs, as does mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster, hairs of several different lengths.

Queen
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=1). TL 4.02; HL 0.618; HW 0.528; EL 0.180; ED 0.162; MOL 0.054; MOD 0.060; SL 0.402; FSL 0.180; CI 85.4; SI 65.1; PSL 0.060; PSW 0.054; PL 0.138; PW 0.264; PI 52.3; PPL 0.240; PPW 0.288; PPI 83.3; WL 0.780.

Moderately large, golden brown with dark yellow appendages; head rectangular, posterior border slightly concave, semi-coarsely punctate, dense; clypeus conspicuously concave between lateral teeth; lateral clypeal teeth well-developed; clypeal carinae well defined; frontal lobes vertically striated; scape does not reach posterior border of head; eye relatively large (approximately 144 ommatidia); ocelli small, oval; pronotum semi-coarsely punctate, dense; posterior propodeal margin angulate; metapleuron horizontally striated; petiolar node striated basally, peduncle with small angle ventrally; postpetiolar node striated, lacking tooth or flange ventrally.

Abundantly hairy, pilosity yellow to light brown; erect and suberect hairs of various lengths (0.03-0.18 mm) covering all body surfaces.

Type Material
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Mayr Type, Brazil (lectotype worker [here designated], Genova coll. C. Emery (dono 1925) Museo (1 cotype worker ). Solenopsis westwoodi atticola, Argentina, Buenos Aires, La Plata, (Bruch) Forel Coll. (lectotype worker and 3 paralectotype workers [here designated] MHNG). Solenopsis westwoodi platens is Emery, 1906, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Villa Catalina (lectotype worker, 3 paralectotype workers, 1 paralectotype queen. [here designated] MCSN). Solenopsis wasmannii transformis innocens, Argentina (1 worker cotype MHNG).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * 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.