Solenopsis wasmannii Emery

Wild, A. L., 2007, A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1622, pp. 1-55 : 53

Solenopsis wasmannii Emery 1894a.

Solenopsis wasmannii Emery 1894a: 151. [w syntypes examined, MHNG; Paraguay (Balzan)] .

Solenopsis wasmannii Emery . Forel 1911a: 297.

Solenopsis wasmanni subsp. transformis Forel 1911a: 298. NEW SYNONYMY. [w syntypes examined, MHNG; San Bernadino , Paraguay (Fiebrig)] .

Solenopsis wasmanni transformis Forel . Kempf 1972: 241.

Solenopsis wasmannii shows a more pronounced worker polymorphism than any other Solenopsis in Paraguay. Major workers of this species can be diagnosed as follows: head width> 0.8mm; head in full-face view chordate, wider posterior than anterior to the compound eyes, posterior margin concave; integument between compound eye and antennal insertions bearing deep piligerous punctures; compound eye small, with approximately 20 ommatidia; mesosomal dorsum in profile forming a single convexity, propodeum not depressed below level of mesonotum; propodeal suture distinct; petiole and post-petiole subequal in width; body covered in erect setae of varying length; head and body concolorous light brown to dark reddish brown in color. Minor workers are considerably smaller and lighter in color the the major but share the similarly diagnostic continuous mesosomal profile.

Forel (1911e) distinguished his subspecies S. transformis from S. wasmannii on the basis of body width, color, and punctation of the head. However, body width is a difficult character to evaluate in polymorphic species, especially with sample sizes as small as those available to Forel. In my opinion the structural differences cited by Forel are at least partly allometric in nature and not indicative of a species boundary. Likewise, a distinction based on punctation is artifactual. The cephalic punctation of the two forms is similar, but easier to see in S. transformis solely as a consequence of the slightly darker color. I find no compelling reason to retain S. transformis , so I synonymize it here.