Pheidole hansoni

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole hansoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. hansoni
Binomial name
Pheidole hansoni
Longino, 2019

Pheidole hansoni CASENT0648728 p.jpg

Pheidole hansoni CASENT0648728 d.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species occurs in montane moist to wet forest. One collection was from a nest under a stone in mature forest. Another collection was major and minor workers at a ground bait.

Identification

Longino (2019) - Minor: face foveolate, overlain with irregular rugulae, rugulae becoming more longitudinal medially; promesonotal profile somewhat box-like, promesonotal groove very shallowly impressed, posterior mesonotum dropping steeply to propodeum; entire mesosoma foveolate, overlain with a lattice of rugulae on dorsal pronotum; propodeal spines upturned, about half as long as posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; abundant flexuous erect setae on mesosomal and gastral dorsa, lacking on tibiae; color dark red brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth large, closely spaced; scape base terete; face with longitudinal rugulae and faint foveolation between eye and frontal carinae, very feeble longitudinal carinulae on frontal space between frontal carinae (variably present), rest of face smooth and shining; propodeal spines about a third to half length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; abundant, erect, flexuous setae on face, sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, and gastral dorsum; tibiae lacking erect setae or with one or two inconspicuous setae; in one series, setae on head subdecumbent, giving somewhat wooley appearance; color dark red brown.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.53, HL 0.56, SL 0.47, EL 0.10, WL 0.64, PSL 0.09, PTW 0.10, PPW 0.15, CI 94, SI 90, PSLI 17, PPI 157 (n=5).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.02, HL 1.09, SL 0.51, EL 0.13, WL 0.82, PSL 0.10, PTW 0.18, PPW 0.34, CI 94, SI 50, PSLI 10, PPI 181 (n=3).

The few collections of this species come from widely separated populations in Costa Rica, and the major workers exhibit a relatively broad range of measurements (one each from three populations: HW 0.99-1.10, CI 92-97). Pheidole carinitida is superficially similar but has enlarged frontal carinae and a more impressed promesonotal impression, in both minors and majors.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.92682° to 10.92682°.

 
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

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Worker

Minor

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole hansoni CASENT0646368 h.jpgPheidole hansoni CASENT0646368 p.jpgPheidole hansoni CASENT0646368 d.jpgPheidole hansoni CASENT0646368 l.jpg
Worker. Specimen code CASENT0646368. Photographer J. Longino, 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.

  • hansoni. Pheidole hansoni Longino, 2019: 36, fig. 36 (w.) COSTA RICA.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Guanacaste: Cerro Cacao, 10.92682 -85.46823 ±2 km, 1100 m, 13-Feb-1995, moist forest, nest under stone (J. Longino, JTL3659) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0636565].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [JTLC, MCZC, MUCR].

Description

see the identification section above

Etymology

In honor of Paul Hanson, who has been a tireless facilitator and promoter of entomological research in Costa Rica.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126