Solenopsis cypridis Santschi, 1934

Csosz, Sandor, Seifert, Bernhard, Laszlo, Mark, Yusupov, Zalimkhan M. & Herczeg, Gabor, 2023, Broadly sympatric occurrence of two thief ant species Solenopsis fugax (Latreille, 1798) and S. juliae (Arakelian, 1991) in the East European Pontic-Caspian region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) is disclosed, ZooKeys 1187, pp. 189-222 : 189

Solenopsis cypridis Santschi, 1934

Solenopsis fugax var. cypridis Santschi, 1934. [type investigation]

Notes.

This species has been described from Limassol in Cyprus.

Four syntype workers and two gynes were investigated from the neotype nest sample, labelled "Chypre 3 Limassol 15. x 30 Mar.....", " S. fugax cypridis Sant" and "ANTWEB CASENT0913887", depository NHM Basel.

Diagnosis.

Worker (Table 4 ; Figs 23 , 24 ; images CASENT0913887 in www.antweb.org): larger than Solenopsis fugax , mean CS = 515 µm. All shape ratios given below are mean values allometrically corrected for CS = 480 µm. Head less elongated than in Solenopsis fugax , CL/CW480 1.159. Hind margin of vertex in full face view straight. Scape short, SL/CS480 0.696. Frontal carinae short, parallel, FL/CS480 0.230, FR/CS480 0.230. Preocular distance rather large, PrOc/CS480 0.200. Eye small, EL/CS480 0.095. Inner clypeal dents spiny and moderately long (CLSPLM/CS480 0.067), their tips diverging and as result more distant than in Solenopsis fugax (CLSPD/CS480 0.154). Lateral clypeal dents much less developed (CLSPLL/CS480 0.021). Frontal lobes carinulate, whole surface vertex except for numerous foveolae of the seta bases completely smooth and shiny. Mesosoma shorter than in Solenopsis fugax (ML/CS480 1.186) but similarly wide (MW/CS480 0.600), always with a moderately deep metanotal groove (MpGr/CS480 0.035). Whole mesosoma smooth and shiny except for 3-6 longitudinal carinulae on lateral metapleuron. Petiole in lateral view with a short peduncle and a high node the dorsum of which is broader than in Solenopsis fugax ; the whole node slightly inclined caudad. Petiole much higher and only slightly narrower than postpetiole (PEH/CS480 0.375, PPH/CS480 0.307, PEW/CS480 0.311, PPW/CS480 0.322). Both waist segments completely smooth and shiny. Head, mesosoma, waist, gaster, femora, tibiae, and scape with very abundant, fine and long setae. Pubescence absent. Head, mesosoma, waist, and gaster dirty brown (i.e., darker than in Solenopsis fugax ); appendages contrastingly light yellowish.

Gyne (Table 5 ): Larger than Solenopsis fugax , mean CS = 972 µm. Head shorter than in Solenopsis fugax , CL/CW 0.890, a smaller head length index proves true also after removal of allometric variance. Scape short, SL/CS 0.691. Frontal carinae short, subparallel and much more distant than in Solenopsis fugax , FR/CS 0.281, a wider frons also proves true also after removal of allometric variance. Preocular distance small, PrOc/CS 0.126. Eye slightly larger than in Solenopsis fugax , EL/CS 0.304; this difference is increased after removal of allometric variance. Inner clypeal dents spiny and rather long (CLSPLM/CS 0.055), their tips much more distant than in Solenopsis fugax (CLSPD/CS 0.174). Lateral clypeal dents much less developed than the inner ones (CLSPLL/CS 0.014). Mesosoma long (ML/CS 2.094) and much higher than wide (MH/CS 1.334, MW/CS 1.154).

Figures

Figure 23. Head of worker of Solenopsis cypridis in full-face view (CASENT 0913887). Photo: AntWeb. org, Photographer: Will Ericson.

Figure 24. Lateral view of Solenopsis cypridis worker (CASENT 0913887). Photo: AntWeb. org, Photographer: Will Ericson.