Pheidole sepultura

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Pheidole sepultura
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. sepultura
Binomial name
Pheidole sepultura
Longino, 2019

Pheidole sepultura JTLC000014191 p.jpg

Pheidole sepultura JTLC000014191 d.jpg

Paratype Labels

This species occurs in montane wet forest, both mesophyll cloud forest and pine-oak forest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits, and minor workers occasionally occur in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood.

Identification

Minor: face foveolate, overlain with very faint irregular rugulae; mesosoma foveolate, pronotal dorsum overlain with reticulate rugulae; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster shagreened/foveolate on anterior third, smooth and shining posteriorly; mesosomal dorsum and gaster with moderately abundant, somewhat stiffened erect setae; tibiae with 0-3 erect setae; color mottled orange and brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face entirely foveolate, overlain with irregular rugulae, strongest between eye and antennal fossa, fading posteriorly, faint linear rugulae between frontal carinae; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum shagreened on anterior third, smooth and shining posteriorly; side of head lacking erect setae, vertex lobes with short, somewhat stiffened setae, rest of pilosity similar to minor worker; color mottled orange and brown.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.58, HL 0.68, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, WL 0.89, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.12, PPW 0.18, CI 85, SI 131, PSLI 12, PPI 149 (n=3).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.97, HL 1.00, SL 0.77, EL 0.17, WL 1.04, PSL 0.11, PTW 0.21, PPW 0.30, CI 97, SI 80, PSLI 11, PPI 139 (n=3).

The minor worker of this species is similar to Pheidole acamata and Pheidole gulo, but with more extensive foveolation on the anterior portion of the first gastral tergite. The major worker is similar to P. acamata, but has no erect setae on the sides of head, has abundant long setae on the gaster, and the scape is slightly flattened at the base. In Economo et al. (2019), this species is JTL198. It is in a clade that includes Pheidole spathipilosa and Pheidole angusticeps further south, and a large radiation in the North American temperate zone, both arid southwest and mesic southeast.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 16.15238° to 16.14346°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Pheidole sepultura JTLC000014192 h.jpgPheidole sepultura JTLC000014192 p.jpgPheidole sepultura JTLC000014192 d.jpgPheidole sepultura JTLC000014192 l.jpg
ParatypeWorker (minor). Specimen code JTLC000014192. Photographer J. Longino.

Nomenclature

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

  • sepultura. Pheidole sepultura Longino, 2019: 58, fig. 37 (w.) MEXICO.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Mexico, Chiapas: Sierra Morena, 16.15238 -93.60100 ±50 m, 1340 m, 13-May-2008, mesophyll forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-A-01-2-01-02) [UNAM, unique specimen identifier JTLC000014191].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, MCZC, UNAM]; same data except Ba-A-01-2-01-13 [JTLC, USNM]; same data except 16.14346 -93.59271 ±65 m, 1380 m, 14-May-2008, pine-oak forest, at bait (LLAMA, Ba-A-01-4-01-01) [DZUP].

Description

Etymology

From the type locality (La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126