Pheidole viriosa

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

This species is only known from the type specimens, which were sifted from litter on the floor of rainforest.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -1.06667° to -1.075°.

 
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

Nomenclature

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

  • viriosa. Pheidole viriosa Wilson, 2003: 534, figs. (s.w.) 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 traits to Pheidole angulifera, Pheidole dimidiata, Pheidole erratilis, Pheidole gilva, Pheidole schmalzi and Pheidole tambopatae, differing as follows.

Major: head bicolored as illustrated; median ocellus present; humerus in dorsal-oblique view bearing a right-angular extension; occipital cleft very broad and moderately deep; propodeal spines directed strongly backward; postpetiole very narrow and oval from above; rear quarter of dorsal head surface smooth and shiny.

Minor: occiput somewhat narrowed, its margin weakly convex, and lacking nuchal collar; propodeal spines directed strongly backward; head almost completely smooth and shiny, with only a few faint carinulae at the antennal fossae; pilosity long, some hairs longer than Eye Length.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.74, HL 0.80, SL 0.42, EL 0.10, PW 0.36. Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.46, SL 0.40, EL 0.12, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major: head bicolored, with vertex and frontal triangle medium brown and rest of head brownish yellow; tarsi brownish yellow; rest of body and appendages light brown.

Minor: head and gaster dark brown, tarsi brownish yellow, rest of body and appendages medium brown.


Pheidole viriosa Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: holotype, major, with hind femur included. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

ECUADOR: Jatun Sacha, 7 km east-southeast of Puerto Misahualli, Napo, 1°04'S 37°37'W, col. Philip S. Ward. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L viriosa, robust, strong.

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.