Species: Solenopsis invicta

Current Valid Name:

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2023)

Solenopsis invica Buren, 1972 PDF: 9, fig. 2 (w.q.m.) The misspelling invica occurs in the title of the species, but the name is spelled correctly, invicta, on previous pages 1-8, as well as on subsequent pages and in figure captions. [sic] BRAZIL (Mato Grosso). Neotropic. Primary type information: Primary type material: holotype worker. Primary type locality: Brazil: Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, 16.ii.1971 (W. Whitcomb & R. Williams). Primary type depository: USNM. Secondary type information: Secondary type material: paratype workers (number not stated). Secondary type localities: paratypes: workers “numerous” with same data as holotype, workers “several additional colonies”, ii.1971 (W. Whitcomb & R. Williams), 10 paratype workers Mato Grosso, Chapada (no collector’s name), paratype workers (number not stated) U.S.A.: Alabama, Daphne (W.F. Buren), Alabama, nr Mobile (W.F. Buren). Secondary type depositories: FSCG, MCZC, UGAA, USNM. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Wheeler & Wheeler, 1977a PDF: 588 (l.)

Junior synonym of Solenopsis wagneri: Bolton, 1995b: 388

[Note: Trager, 1991 PDF: 173, cited Solenopsis wagneri as an unavailable (infrasubspecific) name, but the name was available and had priority over Solenopsis invicta (see under Solenopsis wagneri). Solenopsis invicta was later conserved over Solenopsis wagneri because of usage, in accord with ICZN (1999): Shattuck et al., 1999: 27.]

Status as species: Rhoades, 1977: 1; Smith, 1979: 1386; Deyrup et al., 1989 PDF: 96; Brandão, 1991 PDF: 378; Trager, 1991 PDF: 173 (redescription); Deyrup et al., 2000: 298; Mackay & Mackay, 2002 PDF: 229; Deyrup, 2003 PDF: 47; MacGown & Forster, 2005 PDF: 70; Ward, 2005 PDF: 36; Wild, 2007b PDF: 36; Don, 2007: 198; Terayama, 2009 PDF: 157; Guénard & Dunn, 2012 PDF: 53; Wetterer, 2013c PDF: 50; Bezděčková et al., 2015 PDF: 122; Deyrup, 2017: 105; Pitts et al., 2018 10.4289/0013-8797.120.2.308 PDF: 343 (redescription).

Taxon Page Video:

// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
    Americas: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Montserrat, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, United States Virgin Islands
    Asia: China, India
    Oceania: Australia, Hawaii
  Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
    Australasia, Indomalaya, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oceania
  Native to (according to species list records):
    Neotropical bioregion

Distribution Notes:

Paraguay: Boquerón, Caaguazú, Canindeyú, Central, Guairá, Ñeembucú, Paraguarí, Pte. Hayes

Biology:

An aggressive tramp species, invasive outdoors in warmer climates. Dispersed with tropical plants, and in sod from southern states brought into ILLINOIS.

Comments:

Introduced species.

Notes:

(Dutch vernacular name: rode vuurmier)

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Scientific Name	Status	Publication	Pages	ModsID	GoogleMaps
Solenopsis invicta		Wild, A. L., 2007, A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1622, pp. 1-55: 36, (download)	36	21367
Solenopsis invicta		Ward, P. S., 2005, A synoptic review of the ants of California (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 936, pp. 1-68: -1, (download)	-1	21008

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 4 times found in on swimming pool surface, 1 times found in urban garden, 17 times found in BLack Belt Prairie, 16 times found in nest in dolomite glade, 9 times found in sand bar beside creek, 8 times found in nest under a piece of wood in dolomite glade, 8 times found in plant nursery, 7 times found in dolomite glade, 3 times found in mixed pine/oak, 6 times found in field at edge of parking lot, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 9 times ground nest, 5 times ground forager, 3 times ex sifted litter, 5 times leaf litter, 3 times nest in soil, 1 times on extrafloral nectary Passiflora incarnata, 2 times nest under stone, 2 times mound colony, 1 times colony floating on water, 1 times nest in leaf litter, 1 times sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 0 times Lindgren funnel baited with Typosan and alpha pinene, 28 times direct collection, 9 times search, 13 times Berlese funnel, 5 times Winkler, 2 times pitfall trap, 7 times blacklight, 5 times tuna bait, 3 times hand collected, 3 times beating, 3 times Malaise trap, ...

Elevations: collected from 1 - 1800 meters, 93 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1904-12-31 00:00:00.0 and 2022-08-12 00:00:00.0

Type specimens: Not Provided: casent0742441; paratype of Solenopsis invicta: casent0902350; syntype of Solenopsis saevissima wagneri: casent0913949

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Citing AntWeb

Species: Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972

Download Specimen Data