Solenopsis geminata ( Fabricius, 1804 )

Hamer, Matthew T., Lee, Jonathan Hon Chung, Tse, Cheung Yau Leo, Silva, Thiago S. R. & Guénard, Benoit, 2022, Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy, Asian Myrmecology (e 015006) 15, pp. 1-152 : 101

Solenopsis geminata ( Fabricius, 1804)

Material examined. Kranji mangroves, 24 Sep 1964, D.H. Murphy leg., ZRC _ ENT00047993 ; Lim Chu Kang, Oct 1969, D.H. Murphy leg., DHM-SG69-Sol1, ZRC _ ENT00047992 ; University campus, 17 Dec 1980, D.H. Murphy leg., DHM-SG80-Sol1, ZRC _ ENT00047994 ; Phillip Street, 24 Jun 2011, ex. sugar container, R. Lohman leg. ( SKYC) .

Material not physically examined. Unknown.

Literature. Mayr (1897).

Localities. Kranji; Lim Chu Kang; Phillip Street; University campus (Bukit Timah).

Habitat/Ecology. This species was found in a range of habitat types, including disturbed secondary forest fragments in semi-urban settings, mangrove back forests, and even in cultivated farmland – where the ants were foraging on Solanum melongena L. (eggplant). Ant trails were also observed in close proximity to Termes rostratus mounds in disturbed forest patches.

Remarks. Commonly known as the ‘tropical fire ant’, S. geminata is a cosmopolitan pest species believed to have originated from the Neotropics and spread to much of the Old World, mainly tropical Asia and Oceania, via human commerce (Wetterer 2011, 2015). Its notoriety as a worldwide invasive has in recent times been somewhat downplayed in contrast to the growing infamy of the closely-related congener S. invicta – the ‘imported fire ant’. The latter species continues to be the dominant focus of most pest invasions research and press reports till present.