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Solenopsis orestes
| Solenopsis orestes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Solenopsis |
| Species complex: | fugax |
| Species: | S. orestes |
| Binomial name | |
| Solenopsis orestes Forel, 1903
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Nothing is known about the biology of Solenopsis orestes.
Identification
A New World thief ant. It has characters that are intermediate between the molesta and fugax complexes (it has angulate extralateral clypeal teeth and coarse cephalic punctures). (Key to New World Solenopsis Species Complexes)
Pacheco and Mackay (2013) – Worker - This is a small golden-yellow species. The head is nearly quadrate, covered with small punctures. The clypeal carinae are well developed, leading into the lateral teeth which are well developed and protruding past the clypeal margin. The extralateral teeth are present as bumps. The eyes are moderately large with 8-10 ommatidia. The mesosoma has small punctures present, especially on the pronotum. The peduncle is relatively long at 0.120 mm. The petiole and postpetiole are equal is size when viewed in profile, but the petiole is formed into a blunt pyramid and the postpetiole is a rounded rhombus.
This species is similar to Solenopsis clytemnestra but can be distinguished by having more hair present on all body surfaces, larger eyes, as well as more developed lateral clypeal teeth. This species can also be confused with Solenopsis parva, but can be separated in that S. parva has less hair on all body surfaces, has a kidney-shaped eye and less developed lateral clypeal teeth that resemble angles. Solenopsis joergenseni is similar to S. orestes in pilosity and number of ommatidia but can be distinguished from S. orestes as the head of this species is rectangular while S. orestes has a nearly square-shaped head. Additionally, S. joergenseni has horizontal striae present on the mesopleuron; a trait lacking in S. orestes.
Keys including this Species
- Clave a las obreras del complejo Solenopsis molesta
- Key to Solenopsis fugax species complex
- Key to Solenopsis molesta species complex
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, 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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- orestes. Solenopsis clytemnestra r. orestes Forel, 1903c: 256 (w.m.) BRAZIL (Ceará).
- Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 247), 2 paralectotype workers.
- Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: Ceará (F. Diaz da Rocha); paralectotypes with same data.
- [Note: original description also includes syntype males. Other original syntypes deposited in AMNH, MHNG.]
- Type-depository: MCZC.
- [Also described as new by Forel, 1908e: 66.]
- Forel, 1912g: 6 (q.).
- Subspecies of clytemnestra: Forel, 1912g: 6; Forel, 1914d: 278; Bruch, 1915: 532; Emery, 1922e: 199; Borgmeier, 1927c: 103; Ettershank, 1966: 142; Kempf, 1972a: 234; Bolton, 1995b: 389.
- Status as species: Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 246 (redescription).
- Material of the unavailable name tucumana referred here by Pacheco & Mackay, 2013: 246.
- Distribution: Argentina, 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=6). TL 1.80-2.18 (1.92); HL 0.504-0.618 (0.535); HW 0.390-0.504 (0.443); EL 0.048-0.072 (0.061); ED 0.024-0.048 (0.039); SL 0.360-0.420 (0.375); FSL 0.108-0.150 (0.133); CI 77.3-88.4 (82.8); SI 63.1-79.5 (70.3); PL 0.090-0.114 (0.094); PW 0.126-0.180 (0.147); PI 55.6-71.4 (64.5); PPL 0.120-0.150 (0.125); PPW 0.156-0.210 (0.169); PPI 71.4-76.9 (74.1); WL 0.360-0.480 (0.390); PSL 0.036-0.042 (0.040); PSW 0.030-0.036 (0.034).
Small, concolorous golden-yellow species; head nearly quadrate, with coarse punctures; clypeal carinae well developed; lateral teeth well developed, protruding past clypeal margin; extralateral teeth are bumps; eyes moderately large with 8-10 ommatidia; scape relatively long, extending nearly to posterior lateral corner of head; pronotum with coarse punctures; notopropodeal suture weakly depressed, groove breaks sculpture of mesosoma; posterior propodeal margin angular; petiole and postpetiole equal in size when viewed laterally; petiole blunt pyramid; postpetiole rounded rhombus; postpetiole wider than petiole viewed dorsally.
Hairs present on all body surfaces; head abundantly hairy with short erect and suberect hairs extending from punctures; antennae abundantly pilose with suberect hairs; mesosoma very hairy with erect and sub erect hairs extending past dorsal margin, with most hairs extending anteriorly; petiole, postpetiole and first tergite of gaster abundantly hairy with sub erect hairs that extend posteriorly.
Type Material
Type, American Museum of Natural History, M.Z.C. Type 1-3, 20908, M.Z.C. Cotype 29398 (lectotype worker and 2 paralectotype workers [here designated] Museum of Comparative Zoology), Brazil, Ceara, Dr. Rocha. Solenopsis clytemnestra orestes tucumana, 163 Tucuman Shipton leg., v. cr. Tucumana Forel Coll. A. Forel Argentina (3 cotype workers Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève).
References
- Forel, A. 1903e. Mélanges entomologiques, biologiques et autres. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 47: 249-268 (page 256, worker, male described)
- Forel, A. 1912h. Formicides néotropiques. Part IV. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (suite). Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 20: 1-32 (page 6, queen 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.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Forel A. 1903. Mélanges entomologiques, biologiques et autres. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 47: 249-268.
- Forel A. 1908. Catálogo systemático da collecção de formigas do Ceará. Boletim do Museu Rocha 1(1): 62-69.
- Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part IV. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (suite). Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 1-32.
- 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.