Pheidole quercicola

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole quercicola
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. quercicola
Binomial name
Pheidole quercicola
Wilson, 2003

This species is only known from type specimens. The type colony was collected at a relatively high elevation in humid pine-oak forest. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (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.

  • quercicola. Pheidole quercicola Wilson, 2003: 492, figs. (s.w.) MEXICO.

Description

DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole bilimeki, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole daphne, Pheidole floridana, Pheidole furtiva, Pheidole nebulosa, Pheidole specularis and Pheidole stomachosa, differing as follows.

Major: yellow; profile of promesonotal dorsum flat in side view, descending to metanotum in steep posterior face; humerus discrete and lobose in dorsal-oblique view; occiput broad and deeply concave; postpetiole conate from above; posterior half of head smooth and shiny; and anterior half of dorsal surface of head carinulate; lower margin of pronotum carinulate; middle of mesopleuron with band of broken rugulae.

Minor: occiput broad, strongly concave; promesonotal profile semicircular; propodeal spine equilaterally triangular; postpetiolar node strongly developed in side view; almost all of body smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.06, HL 1.12, SL 0.50, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.58, SL 0.48, EL 0.08, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium yellow.

Minor: concolorous light yellow.


Pheidole quercicola Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

MEXICO: vicinity of Omilteme, Guerrero, 2300–2500 m, col. Cornell University Field Party, 1965. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L quercicola, oak-dwelling, allusion to habitat of type colony.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Vasquez-Bolanos M. 2011. Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mexico. Dugesiana 18(1): 95-133.
  • 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