Solenopsis orbula Emery 1875

Schifani, Enrico, Csősz, SÁndor, Viviano, Roberto & Alicata, Antonio, 2021, Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Natural History Sciences 8 (1), pp. 55-70 : 58

6. Solenopsis orbula Emery 1875

In its present definition, this species is thought to have a circum-Mediterranean distribution (Schifani et al., 2021b). The identity of SW European populations seems relatively certain, yet further investigation is needed to verify their relationships with those from other regions (Galkowski et al., 2010; Schifani et al., 2021b). De Stefani (1889; 1895) reported S. orbula from Santa Ninfa ( Trapani province ). However, Emery (1915) reexamined De Stefani’s specimens and described them as a new taxon, i.e. S. latro sicula Emery 1915 (later treated in this paper). Some recently collected material and the review of Terrasini Natural History Museum material allowed us to find S. orbula specimens from NE Sicily, letting us suppose its continuous distribution along the Tyrrhenian coast from Calabria north to Tuscany (Poldi, 1992; Schifani et al., 2021b). According to the collecting data of winged gynes and males, nuptial flights occur in Sicily around July as they do in Tuscany and in Sardinia (Poldi, 1992; Schifani et al., 2021b).

Examined material ( Fig. 3 f-j)

Messina province : Messina , 06.07.1949, V. Ritiro legit, T. De Stefani Jr. collection at the Terrasini Natural History Museum. Messina, Contrada Scoppo , 12.07.2019, V. Scandura legit, V. Gentile coll. Pendici di Monte Campotto, Gualtieri Sicaminò, 38.137572, 15.335097, 290 m asl, praire, 24.02.1994, A. Alicata legit, AAC

Figures

Fig. 3 - a-c) Plagiolepis schmitzii. Workers / operaie. Mondello (ESC). d-e) Ponera testacea. Worker / operaia. Pizzo di Pietralunga (ESC). f-j) Solenopsis orbula. Queens / regine. Messina. A specimen from De Stefani’s collection / esemplare dalla collezione De Stefani (f,h,j) and a recently collected one / ed uno recentemente raccolto (g,i) (ESC). Scale bar / scala grafica: 0.5 mm.