Solenopsis emiliae

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - This is a bicolored species with a golden brown/reddish head and mesosoma and a dark brown gaster. The posterior border of the head is nearly straight. The anterior border of the clypeus is very concave. The lateral clypeal teeth are well developed and extend 0.054 mm past the anterior clypeal border. The extralateral teeth are absent, but small angles are present in their positions that break the clypeal border sculpture. The eye is 0.120 mm in length and 0.081 mm in diameter and contains approximately 50 ommatidia. The entire mesosoma is covered with longitudinal striae. The propodeal spiracle is small with a diameter of R; 0.030 mm. The petiole and postpetiole have roughened sculpturing whose striae are bubbled in appearance. Queen - The queen is large at 6 mm total length and concolorous red orange. The head is coarsely punctated. The mesosoma is horizontally striated, most evident around the sutures. The propodeum, petiole and postpetiole have roughened sculpturing. The petiolar peduncle has a large flange ventrally.

Solenopsis emiliae is obviously a member of the metanatalis subgroup, however it is unique in that the eye has consistently 50 ommatidia (across the geographic range of this species), separating it from other members within the nigella complex. It can be further separated from similar species, as the head has a rectangular appearance and the mesosoma is completely covered in horizontal striae with the petiole and postpetiole having roughened sculpturing.

Solenopsis emiliae may be confused with Solenopsis metanotalis (which occurs in the same area), but can be separated as S''. metanotalis has striae present below the eye while S. emiliae'' does not.


 * Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

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

Castes
Males have yet to be collected.

Nomenclature

 *  emiliae. Solenopsis metanotalis var. emiliae Santschi, 1912e: 526 (w.) URUGUAY. Raised to species and senior synonym of pelotana: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 152.
 * pelotana. Solenopsis metanotalis var. pelotana Forel, 1912g: 5 (w.q.) BRAZIL. Subspecies of metanotalis: Creighton, 1930b: 127. Junior synonym of emiliae: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 152.

Worker
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=11). TL 1.92-2.16 (2.02); HL 0.600-0.642 (0.611); HW 0.540-0.600 (0.567); EL 0.120; ED 0.072-0.090 (0.081); SL 0.402-0.444 (0.423); FSL 0.180-0.210 (0.197); CI 90.0-95.0 (92.7); SI 66.7-70.5 (69.3); PL 0.078-0.096 (0.084); PW 0.120-0.150 (0.134); PI 60.0-65.0 (63.1); PPL 0.120-0.150 (0.134); PPW 0.174-0.198 (0.185); PPI 64.5-83.3 (72.2); WL 0.420-0.480 (0.451); PSL 0.018-0.036 (0.028); PSW 0.018-0.036 (0.026).

Moderately small; bicolored, golden brown/reddish or yellow head and mesosoma, dark brown gaster; posterior border of head straight, finely punctate; anterior clypeal margin between lateral teeth concave; lateral clypeal teeth well developed, extend 0.054 mm past anterior clypeal border, extralateral teeth absent, but small angle present in their position that breaks clypeal border sculpture; clypeal carinae well defined; scapes do not reach posterior border of head; minor segments of funiculus 3-8 long; eye large, approximately 50 ommatidia; mesosoma completely horizontally striated; notopropodeal suture well depressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; propodeal spiracle small; propodeal posterior margin angular viewed laterally; petiole and postpetiole with roughened sculpturing; petiole wider than postpetiole viewed laterally; petiolar node smaller than postpetiole viewed dorsally; petiolar peduncle with well-developed tooth ventrally.

Sparsely hairy, pilosity reddish orange; scape with abundant appressed pilosity; head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster with few erect and suberect hairs of various lengths.

Queen
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=1). TL 6.12; HL 0.912; HW 0.900; EL 0.216; ED 0.156; MOL 0.060; MOD 0.060; SL 0.570; FSL 0.330; CI 98.7; SI 62.5; PSL 0.060; PSW 0.054; PL 0.132; PW 0.348; PI 37.9; PPL 0.300; PPW 0.600; PPI 50.0; WL 1.20.

Large; concolorous red-orange; head rectangular, coarsely punctate; lateral clypeal teeth well developed, medial and extralateral teeth absent; frontal lobes vertically striated; scape thick, 0.084 mm at widest diameter, eye large; medial ocellus small; mesosoma covered in horizontal striae, most evident near sutures; propodeum with roughened sculpturing above spiracle in addition to striae; petiole and postpetiole with roughened sculpturing in addition to striae; petiolar peduncle with well-developed flange ventrally.

Abundantly hairy, pilosity yellow and reddish orange; erect and suberect hairs covering all body surfaces; hairs on petiole and postpetiole curve posteriorly.

Type Material
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Uruguay, Colonia Helvetia, (v. Steiger), Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi, Kairouan (lectotype worker and 5 paralectotype workers [here designated] ). Solenopsis metanotalis pelotana, Brazil, Pelotas, (Gensterblum) (lectotype worker, 4 paralectotype workers and 1 paralectotype queen [here designated] ).