Pheidole sarpedon

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

Nothing is known about the biology of sarpedon.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -0.410681° to -0.6383°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Ecuador (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

Only known from the major caste.

Nomenclature

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

  • sarpedon. Pheidole sarpedon Wilson, 2003: 749, figs. (s.) ECUADOR.

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

Description

DIAGNOSIS Similar in various ways to Pheidole balzani, Pheidole brunnescens, Pheidole exarata, Pheidole excubitor, Pheidole fabricator, Pheidole germaini, Pheidole hispaniolae, Pheidole nigella, Pheidole prattorum, Pheidole sabina, Pheidole tristis, Pheidole tristops and Pheidole unicornis, differing as follows.

Major: reddish yellow; occipital cleft deep and rounded; postpetiolar venter with prominent forward-directed lobe; humerus in dorsaloblique view elevated prominently as a lobe; propodeal spines vertical to propodeal basal face; carinulae cover anterior half of dorsal head surface, and those mesad to eye bend inward; postpetiolar node from above conulate.

Minor: unknown.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.46, HL 1.60, SL 0.80, EL 0.14, PW 0.68.

COLOR Major: body medium to dark reddish yellow, mandibles and antennal scapes reddish brown, legs light reddish yellow.


Pheidole sarpedon Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Holotype, major. (Minor unknown.) Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

ECUADOR: Limoncocha, Napo, 250 m, col. Stewart B. and Jarmila Kukalová-Peck. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Gr Sarpedon, mythical commander of Priam’s Lycian allies.

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.
  • Mertl, A.L. and J.F.A. Traniello. 2009. Behavioral evolution in the major worker subcaste of twig-nesting Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): does morphological specialization influence task plasticity? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 63:1141-1426