Pheidole dryas

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole dryas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. dryas
Binomial name
Pheidole dryas
Wilson, 2003

Pheidole dryas casent0636783 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole dryas casent0636783 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The type series, representing either one or several colonies, was found in mature wet forest under epiphyte mats in a canopy tree (Longino 1997).

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Atlantic slope of Cordillera Central, Costa Rica (Longino 1997).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.33333° to 10.33333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (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

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole dryas casent0644189 d 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644189 h 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644189 p 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644189 l 1 high.jpg
Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0644189. Photographer Skyler Oswald, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by JTLC.
Pheidole dryas casent0644190 h 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644190 d 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644190 p 1 high.jpgPheidole dryas casent0644190 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0644190. Photographer Skyler Oswald, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by JTLC.

Nomenclature

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

  • dryas. Pheidole dryas Wilson, 2003: 410, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.

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

Description

A unique medium-sized, yellowish brown species whose major has a heart-shaped head, when mandibles are included, in full-face view; all of the dorsal head surface, including the clypeus but excluding the occiput, densely covered by longitudinal carinulae; conspicuously swollen hind femur; and angulate subpostpetiolar process.

There is some similarity to Pheidole erratilis, Pheidole nitella and Pheidole pygmaea, but many differences in body form, sculpturing, and color.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 1.02, SL 0.46, EL 0.10, PW 0.54. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.56, SL 0.42, EL 0.06, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: gaster light yellowish brown, rest of body and appendages dark yellow.

Minor: concolorous light yellowish brown.


Pheidole dryas Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

COSTA RICA: Braulio Carrillo National Park, Heredia, 500 m, col. J. T. Longino. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad

Etymology

L, Gr Dryas, in classical mythology, a wood nymph whose life was that of her tree, referring to the arboricolous nesting habit of the species.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.