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Pheidole calens
| Pheidole calens | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. calens |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole calens Forel, 1901
| |
P. calens appears to be a commensal of the large harvesting ants in the genus Pogonomyrmex. Wheeler (1901h), in his notes to Auguste Forel on the type series, reported as follows: “This feeble Pheidole was found in a number of instances inhabiting small nests within the precincts of the Pogonomyrmex colonies, either on the denuded disks or on the slopes of the gravel cones near the entrances of the agriculturals. It was seen more frequently in this association than either Dorymyrmex pyramicus or Forelius mccooki, and was not seen nesting by itself as is very frequently the case with these species.” (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Only known from the type locality.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 20.67997222° to 19.28855°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico (type locality), Panama, Peru, Venezuela.
Distribution based on AntMaps
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
   
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| Syntype of Pheidole calens. Worker. Specimen code casent0908241. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- calens. Pheidole carbonaria r. calens Forel, 1901c: 130 (s.w.) MEXICO. Subspecies of tepicana: Emery, 1922e: 106. Raised to species: Kempf, 1972a: 188. See also: Wilson, 2003: 563.
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): DIAGNOSIS A member of the pilifera subgroup” of the larger pilifera group, comprising Pheidole calens, Pheidole californica, Pheidole carrolli, Pheidole cavigenis, Pheidole clementensis, Pheidole creightoni, Pheidole hoplitica, Pheidole littoralis, Pheidole micula, Pheidole pilifera, Pheidole polymorpha, Pheidole rugulosa, Pheidole senex, Pheidole soritis, Pheidole tepicana and Pheidole torosa, which subgroup is distinguished by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes horizontally rugulose (or, in littoralis, foveate, in carrolli, smooth, and in micula and soritis, carinulate); postpetiole from above diamond-shaped, trapezoidal, or spinose. Minor: eye medium-sized to large.
P. calens is diagnosed within this group by the following suite of traits. Major: posterior dorsal profile of head weakly concave; humerus in dorsal-oblique view prominent and sub-rectangular; mesonotal convexity prominent; petiolar node in side view thin; postpetiole from above laterally spinose.
Minor: eyes very large; propodeal spine in side view equilaterally triangular.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.30, HL 1.50, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.66. Syntype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.64, SL 0.50, EL 0.20, PW 0.34.
COLOR Major: concolorous light reddish brown.
Minor: body concolorous plain medium brown, mandibles yellow, legs light brown.
Figure. Upper: syntype, major. Lower: syntype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
MEXICO: Aguascalientes (W. M. Wheeler). Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève and Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
Unknown
References
- Emery, C. 1922c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174B: 95-206 (page 106, subspecies of tepicana)
- Forel, A. 1901d. I. Fourmis mexicaines récoltées par M. le professeur W.-M. Wheeler. II. A propos de la classification des fourmis. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 45: 123-141 (page 130, soldier, worker described)
- Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 188, raised to species)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1901. The compound and mixed nests of American ants, Part II: The known cases of social symbiosis among American ants. Am. Nat. 35: 513–539.
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 563, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
- Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Hernandez, F. Varela and G. Castano-Meneses. 2010. Checklist, Biological Notes and Distribution of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve, Hidalgo, Mexico. Sociobiology 56(2):397-434
- Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
- Vasquez Bolanos M., and J. Escoto Rocha. 2018. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Aguascalientes. Investigacion y Ciencia 24(68): 36-40.
- Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press