Solenopsis geminata

Japanese Name

Aka-kami-ari

Fabricius, J.C. (1804) Systema Piezatorum: 439 pp. Brunsvigae.

Atta geminata Fabricius (Fabricius, 1804) , Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) (Mayr, 1867) ,

Workers polymorphic, total body length ranging 3 to 8 mm. Body reddish brown, head brown. In major workers: head almost square, posterior margin distinctly convex in full face view; mandibles robust, each with a strongly convex outer margin and 4 blunt teeth on the masticatory margin; mandibular teeth obscure in some individuals; clypeus with a pair of longitudinal carinae; eyes rather small, each with more than 20 facets; anterior ocelli often present; antennal scapes reaching nearly to posterior border of head; antennal club longer than the 3rd to 9th antennal segments combined; legs, mesosoma and gaster with numerous erect hairs. In minor workers: head almost square in full face view; mandibles 4-toothed; antennal scapes reaching posterior margin of head; clypeus with a pair of longitudinal carinae; posterolateral corners of propodeum carinate, the carinae reaching the dorsal surface of the propodeum; subpetiolar process absent.

The original distribution of P. geminata was ranged from Central America to the southern United States. It has been extended to many tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world by human activities. This species is well known as one of the several pestiferous Solenopsis "fire ants". In areas near Japan it has been recorded from the Philippines and Taiwan. In Japan it was recorded from the Nansei Islands (around the U.S. Army base on Okinawa Island and at the radar site on Ie-jima Island). It was almost certainly introduced to these areas by human commerce (Kubota, 1983; Terayama, 1999). This species is recently found on Iwo Islands. This omnivorous species lives in open land, including barren areas and grassland. It nests in the soil.

Nansei Is (Okinawa I., Ie I.), Volcano Is (Iwo I.); pantropical and subtropical.