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Pheidole mera
| Pheidole mera | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. mera |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole mera Wilson, 2003
| |
This species is only known from type specimens. Nothing is known about its biology.
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Central and southern Texas (Cameron, Hidalgo, and Travis counties). (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 30.33° to 15.718°.
| 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: Guatemala, 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. |
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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
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0172697. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by FSCA, Gainesville, FL, USA. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
  
| |
| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0172698. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by FSCA, Gainesville, FL, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- mera. Pheidole mera Wilson, 2003: 452, 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 medium-sized yellow species whose major has an elongate head, shallow scrobes, deep occipital cleft, semicircular promesonotal profile, and cornulate postpetiole. Similar to Pheidole casta, but the mera major differs in its carinulate and deeply cleaved occiput, oblique orientation of the carinulae mesad to the eyes, and more bulbous promesonotal profile.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.94, SL 0.42, EL 0.14, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.46, SL 0.38, EL 0.08, PW 0.26.
COLOR Major and minor: concolorous clear yellow.
Figure. FIGURE Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
TEXAS: La Feria, Cameron Co., col. W. S. Creighton. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L mera, pure, unadulterated, referring to the color.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 452, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press