Solenopsis latro Forel

Type location Algeria (Solenopsis latro n. sp., Forel, 1894d: 21, worker), collected at Souk Ahras, eastern Algeria, by A Forel, 1889, earlier reported as Solenopsis orbula (Forel, 1890a: LXXVI); found in a nest shared with Aphaenogaster sardoa, Souk Ahras, Forel, 1889
junior synonyms (status here from comparing type images)
msilana (Solenopsis oraniensis var. msilana n. var., Forel, 1894d: 22, worker; subspecies of latro, Emery, 1909a: 34) from Algeria, Msila Forest - https://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0908863
sicula (Solenopsis latro sicula, n., Emery, 1915a: 259, illustrated, worker) from Sicily, Casteldaccia, Prof. De Stefani - see https://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0904642.

Forel's (1894d) description is at . Forel's (1894d) description of oraniensis, with msilana as a variety, is at .

Emery's (1915a) description of sicula is at . Emery (1909a: 29) gave TL maximum 1.6 mm; with a wider head than S. fugax - .

Santschi (1934e: 580), with an illustration, added workers from locations in Algeria - Kef (Normand) and Ain Draham (Rambousek); also msilana from Oran province. In the same paper, Santschi (1934e: 568) reverted S. oraniensis to full species on the basis of the remarkable small queen. S. oraniensis had been reduced to subspecies of latro by Emery (1909a: 34). The merit of Santschi's support for S. oraniensis as a full species can be questioned as there are no descriptions of the queen of S. latro. The workers of latro and its purported subspecies all have a TL ca 1.3-1.4 mm, which is the same as the oraniensis workers. Additionally confusing is that the oraniensis workers have eyes of a single facet, as does latro, whereas msilana with three facetted eyes remains where Emery moved it, that is, under latro.

Egypt records - none.

The photomontage of the holotype is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0102081.