Pheidole meinertopsis

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Pheidole meinertopsis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. meinertopsis
Binomial name
Pheidole meinertopsis
Wilson, 2003

The type colony was found on the ground in terra firme forest, nesting in a rotten stick on top of leaf litter. (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: 5.15522° to -12.497473°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Guyana, Peru (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

Nomenclature

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

  • meinertopsis. Pheidole meinertopsis Wilson, 2003: 450, figs. (s.w.) PERU.

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

Description

DIAGNOSIS Resembling in some traits Pheidole meinerti and Pheidole tambopatae, differing as follows.

Major: reddish yellow; mesonotal convexity well developed; in dorsal-oblique view, dorsal pronotal profile bilobate, including a prominent lobose humerus; dorsal mesosomal pilosity sparse, consisting of a row of well-spaced pairs of setae; petiolar node tapers to a blunt point at apex; postpetiole from above trapezoidal; carinulae originating on frontal lobes spread outward slightly from the midline and extend to but not across the occiput.

Minor: pilosity sparse, on promesonotal profile consisting of evenly spaced pairs of setae; in dorsal-oblique view, pronotal profile bilobate; the humerus and mesonotal convexity angulate; eye set well forward on head; occiput broad and strongly concave.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.88, HL 0.92, SL 0.46, EL 0.12, PW 0.42. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.46, SL 0.42, EL 0.06, PW 0.26.

COLOR Major: body and mandibles medium reddish yellow, other appendages clear medium yellow.

Minor: medium reddish yellow except for gaster and appendages, which are plain medium yellow.


Pheidole meinertopsis Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, col. Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L meinertopsis, resembling (Pheidole) meinerti.

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.
  • Lapolla, J. S., and S. P. Cover. "New species of Pheidole (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) from Guyana, with a list of species known from the country." Transactions of the American Entomological Society 131, no. 3-4 (2005): 365-374.