Pheidole arcifera

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Pheidole arcifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. arcifera
Binomial name
Pheidole arcifera
Santschi, 1925

Pheidole arcifera casent0913266 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole arcifera casent0913266 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of arcifera.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -21.25611111° to -30.075°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Worker

Minor

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole arcifera casent0913267 h 1 high.jpgPheidole arcifera casent0913267 p 1 high.jpgPheidole arcifera casent0913267 d 1 high.jpgPheidole arcifera casent0913267 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidole arciferaWorker. Specimen code casent0913267. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • arcifera. Pheidole arcifera Santschi, 1925d: 226 (s.w.) BRAZIL. See also: Kempf, 1964e: 61; Wilson, 2003: 266.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

From Wilson (2003): A large member of the fallax group, uniquely defined as follows.

Major: entire head carinulate, with carinulae originating on the frontal lobes turning laterad as they approach the occiput, then forward to return all the way to the anterior edge of the head capsule; promesonotum mostly carinulate, with carinulae on the anterior half of the pronotum curving down to run along the ventral border of the pronotum; in dorsal-oblique view, pronotal profile bilobate; in side view, apex of petiolar node tapered to a point; postpetiolar node diamond-shaped and foveolate.

Minor: occiput tapered to a neck, with a broad nuchal collar; propodeal spines thin, needle-like.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 2.00, HL 2.24, SL 1.20, EL 0.32, PW 1.00. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.70, HL 0.96, SL 1.26, EL 0.20, PW 0.50.

COLOR Major and minor: rich medium reddish brown, appendages brownish yellow.

Pheidole arcifera Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Syntype Specimen Labels

Type Material

BRAZIL: Pirapora, Minas Gerais. Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L arcifera, bow-carrier, referring to the unique cephalic carinulae. (Wilson 2003)

References

  • Kempf, W. W. 1964e. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. III. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 7: 45-71 (page 61, see also)
  • Santschi, F. 1925d. Nouveaux Formicides brésiliens et autres. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 65: 221-247 (page 226, soldier, worker described)
  • Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 266, fig. major, minor described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Cividanes F. J., J. C. Barbosa, I. C. F. Martins, F. Pattaro, M. A. Nunes, R. Souza Santos. 2009. Diversity and spatial distribution of ground arthropods in agroecosystems. Bragantia, Campinas, 68(4): 991-1002.
  • Kempf W. W. 1964e. Miscellaneous studies on Neotropical ants. III. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 7: 45-71.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Santschi F. 1925. Nouveaux Formicides brésiliens et autres. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 65: 221-247.