11 replies to this topic

[Luke_in_AZ]

I caught this queen running around on a trail about 9:00pm.  I’m hoping that she is fertile even though she has not shed her wings yet.  I think it would be fun to have a queen that kept her wings. 

 

Thank you for your help IDing!  I need to know if she is fully claustral or not.

 

 

 

1. Location

- Phoenix Arizona (Town of Gilbert)

2. Date of collection

- June 11^th 2020 about 9:00pm

3. Habitat of collection: 

- Typical Arizona Desert

4. Length (from head to gaster):

- I would guess about 5 – 7 mm

5. Color, hue, pattern and texture: 

- Light brown color with black markings on gaster (please see pics)

6. Distinguishing characteristics: 

- Still has wings after 1 day of captivity

9. Nuptial flight time and date:

• June 11^th 2020

 

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[Froggy]

Pretty sure this is Solenopsis

[TennesseeAnts]

Looks a lot like Solenopsis geminata. If she is, she's native.

[Luke_in_AZ]

Thank you!

[Zeiss]

It's definitely in the Solenopsis geminata species group.  Species groups contain multiple species that are typically all very similar and hard to tell the difference between.

[Aaron567]

Looks like Solenopsis xyloni, but could be a couple other closely related things. There are supposedly no actual S. geminata that far west.

Edited by Aaron567, June 12 2020 - 10:00 AM.

[Zeiss]

Looks like Solenopsis xyloni, but could be a couple other closely related things. There are supposedly no actual S. geminata that far west.

What did you read to say that there are no S. geminata this far west?  Going off of antweb.org and antmaps.org, they are found there.

[Aaron567]

 

Looks like Solenopsis xyloni, but could be a couple other closely related things. There are supposedly no actual S. geminata that far west.

What did you read to say that there are no S. geminata this far west?  Going off of antweb.org and antmaps.org, they are found there.

 

 

On the second page of this paper it shows a map.

From this paper, "Throughout its range S. geminata is not found in desert situations, and it is essentially absent from western Texas in contrast to both S. xyloni and S. aurea."

James K. Wetterer's paper regarding their distribution mentions that records from New Mexico and Arizona are unconfirmed and probably misidentifications. This especially seems to be the case on AntMaps, where all literature records are from before 1940.

 

So, the general consensus as of now seems to be that geminata is not a desert species, does not extend farther west than about central Texas, and that the records from west of this area are either old records (from before their taxonomy was as clear) or misidentifications.

[Zeiss]

On the second page of this paper it shows a map.

From this paper, "Throughout its range S. geminata is not found in desert situations, and it is essentially absent from western Texas in contrast to both S. xyloni and S. aurea."

James K. Wetterer's paper regarding their distribution mentions that records from New Mexico and Arizona are unconfirmed and probably misidentifications. This especially seems to be the case on AntMaps, where all literature records are from before 1940.

 

So, the general consensus as of now seems to be that geminata is not a desert species, does not extend farther west than about central Texas, and that the records from west of this area are either old records (from before their taxonomy was as clear) or misidentifications.

From glancing over those papers, it seems that they are just mentioning the species S. geminata, not the entire species complex.  I would assume the other species of the group may have a larger distribution.  I know we have S. amblychila here in California, so that could also be an option for an ID.  S. amblychila was actually my first guess, but I did not want to try to go too specific if it's in the species group.

[Aaron567]

From glancing over those papers, it seems that they are just mentioning the species S. geminata, not the entire species complex.  I would assume the other species of the group may have a larger distribution.  I know we have S. amblychila here in California, so that could also be an option for an ID.  S. amblychila was actually my first guess, but I did not want to try to go too specific if it's in the species group.

 

Yeah, I was specifically talking about the single species rather than the entire group. The desert fire ants found out west are indeed in the geminata-group.

[gcsnelling]

Solenopsis for sure, S. geminata, not even. Either S. xyloni or S. amblychila.

[TennesseeAnts]

Solenopsis for sure, S. geminata, not even. Either S. xyloni or S. amblychila.

Never been good at Solenopsis identification...