Superfamily FORMICOIDEA 1385 



Previously, this genus was divided into several subgenera, the subgenus Solenopsis included 

 the larger, polymorphic species aurea, geminata, invicta, richteri, and xyloni, the subgenus 

 Euophthalma included globularia littoralis and huachuca7ia, and the subgenus Diplorhcrptruyn 

 included the minute "thief ants", the remaining species listed here. Those previously placed in 

 the subgenus Solenopsis are commonly known as "fire ants", the colonies are populous, nests are 

 usually mounded in exposed situations, and workers are agressive and possess a painful sting. 

 They are of the most economically important of ants. Most species in the other subgenera are 

 minute and cryptic, often lestobiotic in the nests of other ants. 



Revision: Emery, 1895. Zool. Jahrb., Abt. f. System. 8:277-279 {Diplorhoptrum). —Wheeler, 

 1915. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 34:397. — Creighton, 1930. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., 

 Proc. 66:39-139. 



Taxonomy: Wheeler and Wheeler, 1955. Amer. Midland Nat. 54:131-136 (larvae). — Snelling, 

 1963. Calif. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent., Occas. Papers No. 3, 10 pp. (keys to all castes of subg. 

 Solenopsis). — Ettershank, 1966. Austral. Jour. Zool. 14:134-144 (generic syn. and list of 

 world species). — Buren, 1972. Ga. Ent. Soc, Jour. 7:1-27 (revisionary studies of the 

 imported fire ants). 



Morphology: Blum, et al., 1958. Science 128:306-307 (chemical, insecticidal and antibiotic 

 properties of fire ant venom). — MacConnel, Blum and Fales, 1971. Tetrahedron 

 26:1129-1139 (chemistry of fire ant venom). —San Martin, 1971. In Bucheil and Buckley, 

 Venomous Animals and Their Venoms v. 3, pp. 95-101 (venomous ants of Solenopsis). 

 aurea Wheeler. Tex., N. Mex., Ariz., s. Calif.; Mexico. Ecology: Nests are in fully exposed 

 situations, in dry, coarse, gravelly soil, and are without a mound. 

 Solenopsis geminata var. aurea Wheeler, 1906. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 22:336. 5,2, 



6. 

 Solenopsis aurea amblychila Wheeler, 1915. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 34:394. 5, 9, S. 



Taxonomy: Snelling, 1963. Calif. Dept. Agr., Bur. Ent., Occas. Papers No. 3: 7. 



Biology: Wheeler, 1908. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 24:425-426. 

 carolinensis Forel. Mass. s. to N. C, Tenn., Ohio. Ecology: Probably lestobiotic. 



Solenopsis tenana race carolinensis Forel, 1901. Soc. Ent. de Belg., Ann. 45:345. 5 , 9 , 6. 



Biology: Wesson and Wesson, 1940. Amer. Midland Nat. 24:92. 

 geminata (Fabricius). S. C. s. to Fla., w. to Tex. and s. to Peru; West Indies; tropical Asia and 

 Pacific Islands. Ecology: In the U. S., it is most common on or near the coast with its 

 incidence decreasing inland except in Florida where it is distributed over most of the 

 state. Nests are in the ground in open areas in dry to moist soil of various composition 

 surmounted by irregular piles of dirt; they may also be under cover of objects or in 

 rotting logs. Economic importance is similar to that of xyloni McCook, but its 

 importance has subsided since the introduction of the imported fire ants. A common 

 tramp species, native to the New World and spread by commerce to other tropical 

 regions of the world. Fire ant. 



Atla geminata Fabricius, 1804. Systema Piezatorum, p. 423. 9 . 



Atta Rufa Jerdon, 1851. Madras Jour. Lit. and Sci. 17:106. 9. 



Solenopsis mandifmlaris Westwood, 1841. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 6:87. 5 . 



Myrmica virulens Smith, 1858. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 6:132. 5 . 



Atta clypeata Smith, 1858. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 6:169. 9, cJ. 



Solenopsis cephalotes Smith, 1858. Linn. Soc. London, Jour., Zool. 3:149. 9. 



Crematogaster laboriosus Smith, 1860. Linn. Soc. London, Jour., Zool. 4:109. 9. 



Diplorhoptrum drewseni Mayr, 1861. Eur. Formicid., p. 71. 5 . 



Myrmica glaber Smith, 1862. Ent. Soc. London, Trans. (3) 1: 34. 5. 



Myrmica polita Smith, 1862. Ent. Soc. London, Trans. (3) 1: 34. $ . 



Myrmica {Monomarium (.')) saxicola Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila, Proc. 6:341. 9. Syn. 

 uncertain. 



Atta Lincecumii Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila., Proc. 6:344. 5 , %. Syn. uncertain. 



Atta brazoensis Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila., Proc. 6:345. 5 , %. Syn. uncertain. 



Atta colaradensis Buckley, 1867. Ent. Soc. Phila., Proc. 6:346. 5, 'H. Syn. uncertain. 



