Pheidole triconstricta

Pheidole triconstricta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. triconstricta
Binomial name
Pheidole triconstricta Forel, 1886 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Pheidole radoszkowskii discursans Forel, 1912 Pheidole radoszkowskii saviozae Forel, 1911 Pheidole triconstricta ambulans Emery, 1906 Pheidole triconstricta hebe Santschi, 1923 Pheidole triconstricta rosariensis Forel, 1913

From Wilson (2003): Males were present in a nest in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, 18 January – 3 February, col. W. L. Brown.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Pheidole diligens group

Distribution

Besides the types and other specimens from Argentina, I have seen specimens form São Paulo, Brazil, Bolivia (Faquira), and Argentina (San Miguel de Tucumán); Kempf lists triconstricta in addition from Uruguay and Minas Gerais and Paraná in Brazil. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality), Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Castes

Worker

Minor

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Major

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Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.

• triconstricta. Pheidole triconstricta Forel, 1886b: xlv (s.) ARGENTINA. Emery, 1906c: 152 (q.). Senior synonym of ambulans, discursans, hebe, rosariensis, saviozae: Wilson, 2003: 241.
• ambulans. Pheidole triconstricta var. ambulans Emery, 1906c: 153 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Forel, 1913l: 230 (m.); Santschi, 1919f: 40 (q.). Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
• saviozae. Pheidole radoszkowskii var. saviozae Forel, 1911c: 304 (s.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
• discursans. Pheidole radoszkowskii var. discursans Forel, 1912f: 223 (s.q.) PARAGUAY. [First available use of Pheidole radoszkowskii subsp. acuta var. discursans Forel, 1909a: 258; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
• rosariensis. Pheidole triconstricta var. rosariensis Forel, 1913l: 230 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
• hebe. Pheidole triconstricta var. hebe Santschi, 1923d: 55 (s.w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.

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

Description

From Wilson (2003): A member of the diligens group distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: yellow, dorsal surface of head and all of body, including gaster, virtually hairless; promesonotal profile in dorsal-oblique view 3-lobed; rugoreticulum present mesad to the eyes; sculpturing of head confined to the portion level with and anterior to the eyes; posterior half of dorsal head surface, and all of the gaster, smooth and shiny; all of mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque.

Minor: yellow; mesosoma bare of pilosity; all of head, mesosoma and waist, along with anterior strip of first gastral tergite, foveolate and opaque.

See also Pheidole anima, Pheidole diligens, Pheidole gagates, Pheidole nubila, Pheidole piceonigra, Pheidole radoszkowskii and Pheidole stigma.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.26, SL 0.74, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.66, EL 0.12, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous yellow.

Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Lectotype Specimen Labels

Type Material

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève and Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L triconstricta, triply contracted, drawn together, evidently referring to the mesosoma, as seen in dorsal-oblique view. (Wilson 2003)

References

• Emery, C. 1906c [1905]. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 37: 107-194 (page 152, queen described)
• Forel, A. 1886b. Espèces nouvelles de fourmis américaines. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 30:xxxviii-xlix. (page xlv, soldier described)
• Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 241, Senior synonym of ambulans, saviozae, discursans, rosariensis, hebe)