Solenopsis elhawagryi

Quick Summary

• Difficulty: Expert
• Origin & Habitat: Known only from Elqamh Park forest in Al Baha Province, southwestern Saudi Arabia, at 1,931 m elevation. The area has many water pools, humid soil after the rainy season, and native vegetation including Acacia trees and Juniperus procera ^[1].
• Colony Type: The only known nest contained tens of workers and two alate queens, but whether they co‑operated or were mother‑daughter is unknown. Colony structure is unconfirmed.
• Size & Growth:
  • Queen: 4.30 mm ^[1]
  • Worker: Major workers: 1.87-2.62 mm, minor workers: 1.55-1.82 mm ^[1]
  • Colony: Only the type nest has been collected, it held 'tens' of workers ^[1]
  • Growth: Unknown
  • Development: Unknown, no captive data exists for this species (Related Solenopsis species often develop in 4-8 weeks at warm temperatures, but this is just an estimate.)
• Antkeeping:
  • Temperature: Unknown. The high‑elevation type locality (1,931 m) suggests a cooler climate than lowland Arabia. Aim for 22-26 °C and watch how the colony responds ^[1].
  • Humidity: The natural habitat has humid soil, especially after rains. Keep the nest substrate moderately moist without making it waterlogged, and offer a moisture gradient.
  • Diapause: Unknown, no overwintering data exists. The elevation hints at a possible cool period, but this is not confirmed.
  • Nesting: The wild nest was under a stone on loose soil beside an Acacia tree. In captivity, use a shallow soil chamber, a Y‑tong block, or a plaster nest. Do not use acrylic nests.
• Behavior: Like all Solenopsis, they have a sting but it’s harmless to people because of their tiny size. No foraging workers were ever seen near the wild nest, so they may be secretive or nocturnal ^[1]. Their size (under 3 mm) means you must use very fine mesh or tight lids to prevent escapes.
• Common Issues: no one has ever kept this species in captivity, there are zero care protocols, it may be legally restricted due to its extremely limited range, tiny size makes escape prevention critical, standard barriers often fail, diet acceptance is unknown, start with small live prey and sugar sources, the only known colony had only 'tens' of workers, suggesting naturally small colonies

Species Discovery and Rarity

Sharaf and Aldawood described Solenopsis elhawagryi in 2012 from a single nest found under a stone in Elqamh Park, Saudi Arabia’s Al Baha Province, at 1,931 m ^[1]. Despite extensive searching in the surrounding Asir Mountains, no other colonies have ever been found. The species is named after Professor Magdi El‑Hawagry in recognition of his work on regional insects ^[1].

Identification and Morphology

You can tell Solenopsis elhawagryi from other Arabian Solenopsis by its color and tiny eyes. Major workers have a brownish‑yellow head with the area in front of the eyes yellowish, and the rear edge of the first abdomen segment is brown ^[1]. The eyes are very small, with only 4-5 lens units (ommatidia), compared to 7 in the similar S. omana ^[1]. All castes have a tooth‑like projection on the underside of the postpetiole (the second waist segment) ^[2]. Minor workers are paler and more slender, while queens are dark brown, nearly black, and have large eyes with over 25 ommatidia ^[1].

Natural Habitat and Nesting

The type locality is Elqamh Park, a forest with many water pools and soil that stays humid after the rainy season ^[1]. Plants there include Acacia origena, Acacia negrri, Solanum species, and Juniperus procera. The nest was under a stone on loose soil next to a large old Acacia tree, and was collected on 17 May 2010 ^[1]. It contained tens of major and minor workers plus two alate queens. No foraging workers were ever seen nearby, so the ants probably stay hidden or only come out at night ^[1]. Other ants in the same habitat include Crematogaster chiarinii, Monomorium mayri, Monomorium salomonis, Tetramorium sericeiventre, and Lepisiota obtusa ^[1].

Related Species and Taxonomy

Solenopsis elhawagryi is most closely related to Solenopsis omana (Oman/UAE) and Solenopsis dentata (Israel) ^[1]. All three share a central pair of stout teeth on the front of the head, a high rounded petiole node, and a tooth‑like projection on the postpetiole. Molecular work shows it groups with other Eurasian Solenopsis and is separate from the Saudi species S. saudiensis ^[2].

Keeping This Species - Important Considerations

Do not try to keep Solenopsis elhawagryi. It has never been kept in captivity, and it may be legally restricted because it is known from only one location. If you somehow obtain a colony (extremely unlikely), document everything. Provide a test tube or Y‑tong nest with moderately moist substrate, keep temperatures around 22-26 °C, and offer small live prey (e.g., fruit flies) and sugar water. Because the workers are under 3 mm, use very fine mesh or airtight lids. But all of this is purely speculative, there is no published care information.

Frequently Asked Questions

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References