Overview
This genus consists of, broadly, three sets of species. The first consists of large, polymorphic species commonly called "fire ants" (S. geminata, S. invicta and relatives). They are free-living, form enormous colonies in open soil sometimes with a mound of loose dirt around the nest entrance, forage on the surface of the ground for seeds, living and dead insects and assorted other foods, and sting like the dickens. The Red Imported Fire Ant (S. invicta) belongs to this group.
The second group (the subgenus Diplorhoptrum) are commonly known as thief ants. The workers are extremely tiny, monomorphic and often live in close proximity to larger ants and termites. When nesting with other ants or termites, they act as "thief ants", raiding the host's nests for food. While most "Diplos" nest in open soil or under rocks some are arboreal. In some cases 3 or 4 Solenopsis nests have been found in a single Myrmecia nest.
The third set of species are social parasites of other ants. While the first two sets form natural groups (are monophyletic) this set is an artificial assemblage of unrelated species.
These ants are also known from Oligocene (35-25 million years before present) and Miocene (25-5 million years before present) fossils.
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This taxon is known from these habitats
The following rows were recorded as a pair from a single record.
Blank entries indicate no information was recorded. |
| Environment/Macrohabitat | Situation/Microhabitat |
| | Humus |
| | in soil |
| | leaf litter |
| | pitfall trap |
| | Rainforest litter |
| | seaweed on beach |
| | under rock |
| Coastal wet sclerophyll | Under log on ground |
| dry sandy sclerophyll | |
| dry sclerophyll | |
| Dry sclerophyll | between rock |
| Dry sclerophyll | Nest under rock |
| Dry sclerophyll | slope |
| Dry sclerophyll | under granite rock |
| Dry sclerophyll | under large rock |
| Dry sclerophyll | under rock |
| Dry sclerophyll, rocky gully | under rock |
| dry sclerophyll, swampy | |
| Edge of wet sclerophyll | in soil |
| eucalypt woodland | |
| eucalypt woodland | under rock |
| Eucalypt, open woodland | |
| Grassy swamp | under rock |
| Gully rainforest | leaf litter |
| gully rainforest | sifted litter |
| logged, subtropical-temperate rainforest | ex rotting log |
| Mallee | |
| mallee | on log |
| Mined 1974 | |
| Mulga | |
| Old mallee, sandy soil | Litter, berlesate |
| Rainforest | |
| rainforest | in rotten log |
| Rainforest | leaf litter |
| rainforest | Nest under rock with SOSC 1038 & SOSC 1040. Each nest 4-6cm apart. |
| rainforest | sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) |
| Rainforest | sifted litter (leaf mould, rotten wood) |
| Rainforest edge | Litter sample dry rainforest along creek near swimming hole |
| Riparian woodland | |
| Riverine tall timber | In soil |
| Savannah woodland, red soil | built up around clump of grass |
| Small patch of closed forest, Eucalypt with dense undergrowth, heavy dry leaf litter | under litter, in soil |
| Swamp floor | |
| Swamp heath | in sand |
| Swampy lowland rainforest | ex rotten log |
| swampy savannah woodland | in soil |
| Virgin grassland | under rock |
| wet sclerophyll | |
| wet sclerophyll | Litter sample, 4 litres sifted litter |
| Wet sclerophyll | nest under rock |
| Wet sclerophyll | Nest under rock, 3cm from nest chambers of SOSC 897 |
| Wet sclerophyll | Sieved litter |
| Wet sclerophyll | Sifted leaf litter sample. |