Pheidole hoplitica
Pheidole hoplitica | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. hoplitica |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole hoplitica Wilson, 2003 |
Lloyd Davis collected this species from a cemetery in Salineno, TX. The nest was in bare sandy clay soil in full sun. There was a pile of insect parts a few cm from the nest entrance.
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 26.57° to 19.48333°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.
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. |
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. |
Biology
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
Worker. Specimen code casent0103408. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0104751. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hoplitica. Pheidole hoplitica Wilson, 2003: 579, figs. (s.w.) U.S.A.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
DIAGNOSIS A member of the “pilifera complex” 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 rugulosa, Pheidole senex, Pheidole soritis, Pheidole tepicana and Pheidole torosa, which complex is characterized by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes horizontally rugulose (or, in carrolli smooth, in littoralis foveate, and in micula and soritis carinulate); postpetiole from above diamond-shaped, trapezoidal, or spinose. Minor: eye medium-sized to large.
P. hoplitica is distinguished within the complex, including cavigenis, which it most resembles, by the following combination of traits.
Major: posterior dorsal profile of head markedly concave; occiput partly rugoreticulate; carinulae that originate from around frontal triangle turn outward near the center of the head toward the occipital corners; promesonotum strongly convex, almost semicircular in profile; postpetiolar node in side view wide and broadly rounded, not narrow and abruptly rounded.
Minor: head and sides of pronotum smooth and shining, not densely sculptured and opaque; some of the hairs of the promesonotal dorsal surface clavate.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.52, SL 0.60, EL 0.22, PW 0.70. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.56, SL 0.46, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.
COLOR Major: light reddish brown.
Minor: brownish yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
TEXAS: Starr County, col. W. Cloyd. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
Gr hoplitica, referring to the hoplite, a heavily armed soldier of ancient Greece.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 579, fig. major, minor described)
- Vázquez-Franco, C.M., Morrone, J.J. 2022. The genus Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Puebla, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 93: e933820 (doi:10.22201/ib.20078706e.2022.93.3820).
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
- 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