Solenopsis goeldii

Solenopsis goeldii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Solenopsis
Species complex:	pygmaea
Species:	S. goeldii
Binomial name
Solenopsis goeldii Forel, 1912 Specimen Labels

Only known from the type specimens; nothing is known about the biology of Solenopsis goeldii.

Identification

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

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Worker - This is a tiny, pale yellow ant. It has coarse punctures on its head with hairs extended from each one giving it a speckled appearance. The lateral teeth are well developed and the extralateral teeth are absent. The head is quadrate and is longer than wide. The notopropodeal suture is weakly depressed and does break the sculpture of the mesosoma. Male - The male is small and brown. The head is as wide as long. There are coarse punctures present on the medial and dorsal parts of the head. The anterior border of the clypeus is nearly straight and absent of teeth. The funicular segments are elongated.

The workers of S. goeldii may be confused with those of Solenopsis westwoodi (southeastern South America) based on the coarse cephalic punctures present in both species. However, S. westwoodi is a medium dark brown ant while S. goeldii pale yellow in coloration. Additionally, the extralateral teeth on S. goeldii are absent while S. westwoodi has conspicuous bumps present in their location.

Keys including this Species

• Clave a las obreras del complejo Solenopsis pygmaea
• Key to Solenopsis pygmaea species complex

• Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Castes

Queens have not been collected.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• goeldii. Solenopsis goeldii Forel, 1912g: 9 (w.m.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro).
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 176), 2 paralectotype workers, 1 paralectotype male.
  • Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (Göldi); paralectotypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Status as species: Emery, 1922e: 200; Borgmeier, 1927c: 105; Ettershank, 1966: 141; Kempf, 1972a: 236; Bolton, 1995b: 388; Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 175 (redescription).
  • Distribution: Brazil.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=3). TL 1.44; HL 0.390-0.402 (0.396); HW 0.306; EL 0.030; ED 0.024-0.030 (0.028); SL 0.245-0.270 (0.256); FSL 0.096; CI 76.1-78.5 (77.3); SI 62.8-67.2 (64.5); PL 0.090-0.096 (0.092); PW 0.108; PI 83.3-88.9 (85.2); PPL 0.090-0.096 (0.092); PPW 0.120-0.126 (0.124); PPI 71.4-76.2 (74.2); WL 0.300; PSL 0.024-0.030 (0.028); PSW 0.024-0.030 (0.026).

Small, concolorous yellow; cephalic punctures coarse; lateral clypeal teeth well developed, extralateral teeth absent; head rectangular, longer than wide; scape extends 3/4 distance to posterior lateral corner of head; minor funicular segments 2-4 swollen, large; eyes small, contain 1-3 ommatidia; notopropodeal suture weakly depressed, does not break sculpture of mesosoma; petiole wider than postpetiole when seen in profile, rectangular in shape, petiole and postpetiole roughly equal in size when viewed dorsally, but petiole longer, postpetiole wider.

Hairs present on all body surfaces; head abundantly pilose, pilosity on head directed toward middle, hair missing in middle of head; scape abundantly hairy; all other body surfaces covered with pubescence and suberect hairs.

Male

Pacheco and Mackay (2013) - Measurements (n=1). TL 3.12; HL 0.420; HW 0.420; EL 0.240; ED 0.180; MOL 0.066; MOD 0.090; SL 0.120; FSL 0.960; CI 100; SI 28.57; PSL 0.066; PSW 0.072; PL 0.180; PW 0.210; PI 85.7; PPL 0.162; PPW 0.222; PPI 73.0; WL 0.480.

Small, concolorous brown; head as wide as long; coarse punctures present on medial and dorsal parts of head; anterior margin of clypeus nearly straight, absent of teeth; eyes large, extend past sides of head, from medial portion of head to ventral side towards mandibles; ocelli clear from coloration; antennae long, pale yellow in color; coarse punctures present on pronotum; notopropodeal suture well depressed, breaks sculpture of mesosoma; horizontal costulae present on propodeum; petiole wider than postpetiole when viewed laterally.

Hair present on all body surfaces; long, suberect hairs extend out of coarse punctures present on head and pronotum.

Type Material

Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, (lectotype worker, bottom specimen) [here designated], 2 paralectotype workers and 1 paralectotype male Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève).

References

• Forel, A. 1912h. Formicides néotropiques. Part IV. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (suite). Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 20: 1-32 (page 9, worker, male described)
• Pacheco, J.A. & Mackay, W.P. 2013. The systematics and biology of the New World thief ants of the genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, New York. 501 pp.