Pheidole laevicolor
Pheidole laevicolor | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. laevicolor |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole laevicolor Eguchi, 2006 |
This species occurs from forest edges to well-developed forests and nests in the soil (Eguchi et al. 2004, Eguchi 2006). Majors serve as repletes (Eguchi 2008).
At a Glance | • Replete Workers |
Identification
Eguchi (2008) - This species is characterized among Indo-Chinese species by the combination of the following characteristics:
- in the major dorsal and lateral faces of head and promesonotal dome smooth and shining
- in the major vertex and dorsal and lateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate, with enclosures weakly punctured
- in the major hypostoma in the middle with a conspicuous median process and a pair of conspicuous submedian processes
- in the major and minor promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope
It is very similar to Pheidole taipoana, but distinguished from the latter which has the following characteristics in the major:
- impression on vertex in lateral view deep
- area in front of a transverse impression on vertex sparsely sculptured with weak longitudinal rugulae, with interspaces smooth and shining (see also Eguchi 2006)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Known from N. Vietnam.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 21.58333333° to 14.9°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Vietnam (type locality).
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
Images from AntWeb
Paratype of Pheidole laevicolor. Worker. Specimen code casent0911217. Photographer Alexandra Westrich, 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.
- laevicolor. Pheidole laevicolor Eguchi, 2006: 123, figs. (s.w.) VIETNAM. See also: Eguchi, 2008: 46.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Eguchi (2008) - Major (data from the original description, but FL was erroneously given as “0.86–0.76” in the original description). — HL 1.06–1.20 mm; HW 0.98–1.08 mm; CI 90–92; SL 0.49–0.55 mm; SI 50–52; FL 0.68–0.76 mm; FI 67–72. Minor (data from the original description). — HL 0.50–0.58 mm; HW 0.42–0.50 mm; CI 84–88; SL 0.47– 0.58 mm; SI 108–116; FL 0.49–0.62 mm; FI 117–124.
Major — Head in lateral view weakly or hardly impressed on vertex; frons longitudinally rugose; vertex and dorsal and lateral facecs of vertexal lobe reticulate, with enclosures weakly punctured; frontal carina very weak or inconspicuous (present just as rugulae); antennal scrobe inconspicuous; clypeus at most with an inconspicuous median longitudinal carina; median, submedian and lateral processes of hypostoma conspicuous; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye a little longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri usually as broad as or a little broader than at the bottom (but sometime a little narrower than at the bottom). Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite weakly punctured around its articulation with postpetiole, and shagreened to smooth in the remainder.
Minor — Dorsum of head smooth and shining; preoccipital carina complete, but usually very weak dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining, without a median longitudinal carina; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head at least by the half length of antennal segment II; maximal diameter of eye almost as long as or a little longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining, with one or several weak or inconspicuous transverse rugulae anterodorsally, in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus in dorso-oblique view not or hardly produced laterad; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum weakly or dimly punctured; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole (much) longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); post-petiole not massive.
Type Material
Eguchi (2008) - Holotype: major, “Tam Dao N.P., 21°27’N, 105°38’E, ca. 1000 m alt., Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, Eg01-VN-130”, IEBR, examined; paratypes: 14 majors & 15 minors, same data as holotype, (IEBR, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Natural History Museum, FSKU & ACEG, examined.
References
- Liu, C., Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., Yamane, S., Liu, Q., Peng, Y.Q., Economo, E.P., Guénard, B., Pierce, N.E. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. ZooKeys 978, 1–171 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.978.55767).
- Eguchi, K. 2008. A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1902:1-118.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Eguchi K. 2006. Six new species of Pheidole Westwood from North Vietnam (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 113:115-131
- Eguchi K. 2008. A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1902: 1-118.
- Eguchi K., S. Yamane, and S.Y. Zho. 2007. Taxonomic revision of the Pheidole rinae Emery complex. Sociobiology 50 (1): 275-284.
- Eguchi K.; Bui T. V.; Yamane S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), part I Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
- Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128