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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Myrmicinae » Solenopsidini » Fire Ants and Thief Ants (Solenopsis) » Diplorhoptrum - Thief ants (fugax group) (Solenopsis Diplorhoptrum - Thief ants (fugax group)) » Thief Ant (Solenopsis molesta)
Photo#432388
Solenopsis molesta? - Solenopsis molesta
Copyright © 2010 tom murray

Solenopsis molesta? - Solenopsis molesta
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
July 25, 2010
Size: 1.5mm
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Contributed by tom murray on 25 July, 2010 - 5:11pm
Last updated 28 July, 2010 - 10:24am

Moved
Moved from Ants.
… James C. Trager, 28 July, 2010 - 10:24am login or register to post comments

Solenopsis sp. - workers
Conspicuous two-segmented antennal club, very small compound eyes and lack of propodaeal spines are quite distinctive features of these small "thief ants". I ignore whether S. molesta is the only species of this group in New England. Maybe Dr Trager knows.
… Richard Vernier, 27 July, 2010 - 10:49am login or register to post comments

 
Not the only one...
S. texana is rare up there, but also occurs in at least the sandy, scrub-oak parts of southern New England. But, I will confirm to Richard that this looks like S. molesta, based on its brownish color cast and that some of the antennal segments #3-8 are nearly as long as they are wide.

This is a difficult group, often most distinctive in the queen caste.

Nice image of these tiny ants!
… James C. Trager, 27 July, 2010 - 3:53pm login or register to post comments

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