Solenopsis papuana

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Solenopsis papuana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Solenopsis
Species: S. papuana
Binomial name
Solenopsis papuana
Emery, 1900

Solenopsis papuana casent0103246 profile 1.jpg

Solenopsis papuana casent0103246 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

This species was found in Hawaiʻi in 1967 and is now widespread in mesic to wet forest ecosystems across at least several islands (Huddleston and Fluker, 1968; Gillespie and Reimer, 1993; Reimer, 1994). In these ecosystems S. papuana is generally rare on vegetation distant from the ground (Krushelnycky, 2015), but has occasionally been observed foraging up to a height of at least two meters on tree trunks. More commonly, it attains high densities and is most active in the soil and leaf litter (Ogura-Yamada and Krushelnycky, 2016, unpub. data). Krushelnycky et al (2017) performed a field experiment to determine potential effects of these ants on populations of picture wing flies. Suppression of S. papuana in field plots resulted in a 2.4-fold increase, on average, in the rate of successful development from egg to adult in the Hawaiian picture-winged Drosophila fly D. crucigera. Six species of endangered picture-winged Drosophila species occur or were historically collected in the Waiʻanae Mountains of Oʻahu in the same or similar habitats represented by the field sites, and were therefore considered potentially threatened by S. papuana.

At a Glance • Highly invasive  

Identification

  • Solenopsis-papuana-illus.jpg

Within the Australian fauna, Heterick (2019) provides the following notes: Solenopsis papuana was identified using a combination of Emery's original description (Emery 1900) and AntWeb images. Images of both sets of species and their accompanying labels are available on AntWeb (CASENT0872757 for a Solenopsis papuana queen and CASENT087757 for a Solenopsis papuana worker). The Queensland Solenopsis specimens, collected in Centenary Lakes in Cairns, have paraclypeal teeth in addition to the normal clypeal teeth. This feature is lacking from most workers imaged on AntWeb (including syntypes) but can clearly be seen in an identical worker collected on Oahu, Hawaii and identified by P. Krushelnycky as Solenopsis papuana. Another, similar worker identified by Krushelnycky as S. papuana and also collected on Oahu appears to lack paraclypeal teeth. Apparently, this feature is variable, as is the colour in this species (Wilson & Taylor 1967).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 14.297° to -21.372969°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia, New Caledonia.
Indo-Australian Region: Fiji, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea (type locality), Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Malagasy Region: Seychelles.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Solenopsis papuana casent0103247 head 1.jpgSolenopsis papuana casent0103247 profile 1.jpgSolenopsis papuana casent0103247 dorsal 1.jpgSolenopsis papuana casent0103247 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0103247. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Workers, queens and males have been described.

Nomenclature

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

  • papuana. Solenopsis papuana Emery, 1900c: 330 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
    • Type-localities: Papua New Guinea: Berlinhafen (= Aitepe) (L. Biró), Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen (= Madang) (L. Biró).
    • Type-depositories: HNHM, MSNG.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1922e: 203; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 169; Ettershank, 1966: 142; Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Dlussky, 1994: 54; Bolton, 1995b: 390; Wetterer, 2002: 128; Wetterer & Vargo, 2003: 416; Clouse, 2007b: 250; Sarnat & Economo, 2012: 123; Sarnat, et al. 2013: 72; Ramage, 2014: 163.
    • Senior synonym of cleptis: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 390.
    • Senior synonym of dahlii: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 390.
    • Senior synonym of vitiensis: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 390.
    • Distribution: Fiji Is, French Polynesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea (+ Bismarck Archipelago), Samoa, Solomon Is, Tonga.
  • cleptis. Solenopsis cleptis Mann, 1919: 330 (w.) SOLOMON IS (San Cristoval I.).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Solomon Is: San Cristoval I., Wai-ai, 1916 (W.M. Mann).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • [Misspelled as cleptes by Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 26.]
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 26; Ettershank, 1966: 140.
    • Junior synonym of papuana: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 386.
  • dahlii. Solenopsis dahlii Forel, 1901b: 14 (w.q.m.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea: Bismarck Archipelago).
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: Papua New Guinea: Bismarck Archipelago, Ralum, 22.ix.1896, and 29.xi.1896 (F. Dahl).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Status as species: Dahl, 1901: 19; Emery, 1922e: 203; Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 26; Ettershank, 1966: 140.
    • Junior synonym of papuana: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 387.
  • vitiensis. Solenopsis cleptis var. vitiensis Mann, 1921: 444 (w.) FIJI IS (Viti Levu, Tai Levu).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated, “several extensive colonies”).
    • Type-locality: Fiji Is: Viti Levu, Nasoqo (W.M. Mann).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Subspecies of cleptis: Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 26; Ettershank, 1966: 144.
    • Junior synonym of papuana: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 60; Bolton, 1995b: 391.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Chazeau J., H. Jourdan, L. Bonnet de Larbogne, J. Konghouleux, and T. Potiaroa. 2003. Etude floristique et faunistique de la foret seche de Nekoro, 2 eme partie: evaluation de l'integrite de la faune par l'etude de la myrmecofaune. Lettre de Commande Programme Forêt Sèche /lRD N°l 54/2002/CP
  • Clouse R. M. 2007. The ants of Micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Micronesica. 39: 171-295.
  • Clouse, R.M. 2007. The ants of Micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Micronesica 39(2): 171-295.
  • Dahl F. 1901. Das Leben der Ameisen im Bismarck-Archipel, nach eigenen Beobachtungen vergleichend dargestellt. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 1-70.
  • Dlussky G.M. 1994. Zoogeography of southwestern Oceania. Zhivotnoe naselenie ostrovov Iugo-Zapadnoi Okeanii ekologo-geograficheskie issledovanii 48-93.
  • Emery C. 1900. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio secunda. Természetrajzi Füzetek 23: 310-338.
  • Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
  • Forel A. 1901. Formiciden aus dem Bismarck-Archipel, auf Grundlage des von Prof. Dr. F. Dahl gesammelten Materials. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 4-37.
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Kami K.S., and S. E. Miller. 1998. Samoan insects and related arthropods: checklist and bibliography. Bishop Museum Technical Report 13, pp 121.
  • Kami KS & Miller SE. 1998. Samoan insects and related arthropods: checklist and bibliography. Bishop Museum Technical Report No. 13.
  • Klimes P., P. Fibich, C. Idigel, and M. Rimandai. 2015. Disentangling the diversity of arboreal ant communities in tropical forest trees. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0117853. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117853
  • Le Breton J., J. Chazeau and H. Jourdan. 2002. Expression de Wasmannia dans une forêt dense humide et impact sur la myrmécofaune native de litière. P 57-63. In Etude de l'invasion de la Nouvelle-Calédonie par la fourmi pionnière Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger): modalités, impact sur la diversité et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes, moyens d'une maîtrise de la nuisance. Programme INWASCAL, Conventions Sciences de la Vie, Zoologie Appliquée 13.
  • Le Breton J., J. Chazeau, and H. Jourdan. 2003. Immediate impacts of invasion by Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on native litter ant fauna in a New Caledonian rainforest. Austral Ecology 28: 204–209.
  • Lucky A., L. E. Alonso, E. Sarnat, and J. Hulr. 2015. Ants and scolytine beetles. In: Richards, S.J. and N. Whitmore (editors) 2015. A rapid biodiversity assessment of Papua New Guinea's Hindenburg Wall region. Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka, PNG.
  • Mann W. M. 1919. The ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:273-391.
  • Mann W. M. 1921. The ants of the Fiji Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 64: 401-499.
  • Mann William. 1916. The Ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 63(7): 273-391
  • Mann, W.M. 1919. The ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College 63: 273-391
  • Morrison L. W. 1996. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Polynesia revisited: species numbers and the importance of sampling intensity. Ecography 19: 73-84.
  • Morrison L. W; 2008. Patterns of nestedness in remote Polynesian ant faunas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Science 62(1): 117-127.
  • Morrison L.W. 1997. Polynesian ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species richness and distribution: a regional survey. Acta Oecologica 18(6): 685-695.
  • Morrison LW. 2008. Patterns of Nestedness in remote Polynesian ant faunas. Pacific Science 117-127.
  • Morrison LW. 2008. Patterns of nestedness in remote Polynesian ant faunas. Pacific Science 62(1):117-127.
  • Perrault G.H. 1988. Les fourmis de Tahiti. Bull. Soc. Zool. France 112(3-4): 430-446.
  • Ramage T. 2014. Les fourmis de Polynesie francaise (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France 119 (2): 145-176.
  • Sarnat Eli M. 2009. The Ants [Hymenoptera: Formicdiae] of Fiji: Systematics, Biogeography and Conservation of an Island Arc Fauna. 80-252
  • Savage, A.M., J.A. Rudgers and K.D. Whitney. 2009. Elevated Dominance of Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants Is Associated with Increased Abundances of an Invasive Ant and Reduced Native Ant Richness. Diversity and Distributions 15(5): 751-761
  • Snelling R. R. 2000. Ants of the Wapoga river area, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. In Mack, Andrew L. and Leeanne E. Alonso (eds.). 2000. A Biological Assessment of the Wapoga River Area of Northwestern Irian Jaya, Indonesia. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 14, Conservation International, Washington, DC.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
  • Ward D. 2008. Ecological partitioning and invasive ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a tropical rain forest ant community from Fiji. Pacific Science 62(4): 473-482.
  • Ward, Darren F. and James K. Wetterer. 2006. Checklist of the Ants of Fiji. Fiji Arthropods III 85: 23-47.
  • Wetterer, James K. 2002. Ants of Tonga. Pacific Science. 56.2: 125-135.
  • Wetterer, James K. and Vargo, Donald Vargo L. 2003. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samoa. Pacific Science. 57(4):409-419.
  • Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
  • Wheeler, William Morton.1935.Checklist of the Ants of Oceania.Occasional Papers 11(11): 3-56
  • Wilson E. O. 1959. Some ecological characteristics of ants in New Guinea rain forests. Ecology 40: 437-447.
  • Wilson E. O.; Taylor, R. W. 1967. The ants of Polynesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph 14:1-109.
  • Wilson E.O., and G.L. Hunt. 1967. Ant fauna of Futuna and Wallis islands, stepping stones to Polynesia. Pacific Insects 9(4): 563-584.
  • Wilson EO, Hunt GL. 1967. Ant fauna of Futuna and Wallis Islands, stepping stones to Polynesia. Pacific Insects 9.4: 563-584.
  • Wilson EO, Taylor RW. 1967. The ants of Polynesia. Pacific Insects Monograph 14:1-109.
  • Wilson, Edward O. and George L. Hunt. 1967. Ant Fauna of Futuna and Wallis Islands, Stepping Stones To Polynesia. Pacific Insects. 9(4):563-584.
  • Wilson, Edward O. and Hunt, George L. Jr. 1967. Ant Fauna of Futuna and Wallis Islands, Stepping Stones to Polynesia. Pacific Insects. 9(4):563-584
Retrieved from "https://antwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Solenopsis_papuana&oldid=688251"