Pheidole aristotelis

Pheidole aristotelis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. aristotelis
Binomial name
Pheidole aristotelis Forel, 1911 Specimen Labels

This species inhabits well-developed forests from lowlands to hill areas (probably not exceeding 1000 m alt.). It nests in rotting twigs and wood blocks on the forest floor, and stores up a number of tiny seeds in the nest (Eg96-BOR-142, 144, 197, 205, 221, 235, 273, 317). I have never encountered colonies which include more than one dealate queen. (Eguchi 2001a)

Identification

Eguchi (2001a) - This species is easily recognised among Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: promesonotum of the minor armed with a pair of blunt spines; frons of the major irregularly reticulate; hypostoma of the major bearing a stout (rarely poorly developed) median process; frontal carina of the major horizontal, and extensively overhanging antennal scrobe. The close relationship between P. aristotelis and Pheidole hortensis and its possible relatives is inferred by their exceptional characteristics, i.e., distinctly reticulate ventral faces of midcoxa and hindcoxa in the major.

Two relatively distinct colour forms are observed in both the subcastes; the “brown form” and “dark form” are more or less recognisable sympatrically in Poring and Gunong Rara, Sabah. All of the examined colonies from Halimun CW. Java), and also one colony collected from Lombok, are of the “dark form.” Type series of this species seems to belong to the “brown form.” However, I am at present unsuccessful in finding any other character correlated with this color variation. Therefore, I refrain from concluding their status, and tentatively treat them to be conspecific.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Pheidole majors and minors of Borneo
• Key to Pheidole majors of Borneo
• Key to Pheidole minors of Borneo

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 5.033333333° to 3.258333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore.
Oriental Region: Thailand.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Castes

Worker

Minor

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0281633. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Not Provided. Worker. Specimen code casent0282388. Photographer Adam Lazarus, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by EPEC.

Paralectotype of Pheidole aristotelis. Worker. Specimen code casent0907972. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Major

Images from AntWeb

Lectotype of Pheidole aristotelis. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0907971. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0281632. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

• aristotelis. Pheidole aristotelis Forel, 1911a: 43 (s.w.m.) BORNEO. See also: Eguchi, 2001a: 4; Eguchi, 2001b: 34.

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

Description

Worker

Eguchi 2001. Figure xxx.

Eguchi (2001a) - Major. Measurements and indices (n=13): TL 2.3-3.0 mm, HL 1.15-1.53 mm, HW 1.05-1.37 mm, SL 0.53-0.68 mm, FL 0.62-0.82 mm, CI 86-94, SI 47-51, FI 55-61. Head in full-face view with almost parallel sides (Fig. 7 A), in profile distinctly impressed on vertex (Fig. 7B). Hypostoma bearing a large median process (Fig. 7C) (rarely the process poorly developed). Clypeus without a median longitudinal carina (rarely with an evanescent carina), with anterior margin hardly concave medially. Eye situated at about 1/3 distance of head (as measured from the mid-point of a transverse line spanning the anteriormost and posteriormost projecting points, respectively (cf. Fig. 2A)); distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye 1.9-2.3 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina well-developed, horizontal, extending backward to 3/4 distance of head (Fig. 7A). Antennal scrobe deep and extensively overhung by frontal carina. Area around antennal insertion abruptly and deeply depressed. Antenna with 3-segmented club; terminal segment 1.1-1.3 times as long as preceding two segments together. Masticatory margin of mandible with apical and preapical teeth, and a small or evanescent denticle in front of basal angle. Promesonotal dome with an inconspicuous prominence on its posterior declivity (Fig. 7E); dorsal portion of the dome acutely produced laterally (Fig. 7D; but in various degrees). Mesopleuron sometimes with a weak or inconspicuous transverse impression. Propodeal spine 4-5 times as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle, usually blunt apically. Petiole 1.7-1.8 times as long as postpetiole (excluding helcium); petiolar node high, in posterior view emarginate at apex in various degrees. Postpetiole 1.7-2.0 times as broad as petiolar node, acutely produced laterally.

Frons irregularly reticulate, with enclosures punctured weakly and dull; dorsal and dorsolateral faces of occipital lobe reticulate, with smooth and shining enclosures; area between antennal scrobe and eye very weakly reticulate, with punctured and dull enclosures; ventrolateral face of occipital lobe smooth and shining; dorsum of promesonotal dome weakly punctured and weakly shining, and with several transverse or irregular rugulae; lateral face of promesonotal dome and lower part of mesopleuron sometimes smooth and shining; dorsal and declivitous faces of propodeum smooth and shining; remainder of ali trunk weakly punctured and weakly shining; ventral faces of midcoxa and hindcoxa distinctly reticulate; lateral faces of petiole and postpetiole very weakly punctured; dorsa of petiole and postpetiole, and gaster smooth and shining. Outer face of mandible sparsely covered with very short appressed hairs (< 0.02 mm in length), which are much shorter than distance between piligerous punctures; submarginal zone of masticatory margin of mandible with a row of longer appressed to decumbent hairs. Body brown with darker head (especially its anterior part) and with lighter waist and gaster, or dark reddish-brown; flagella and tarsi lighter than alitrunk.

Minor. Measurements and indices (n=13): TL 1.4-1.8 mm, HL 0.50-0.66 mm, HW 0.48-0.63 mm, SL 0.42-0.58 mm, AL 0.62-0.85 mm, FL 0.45-0.66 mm, CI 96-98, SI 87-96, FI 95-110. Head in full-face view slightly concave posteriorly (Fig. 7F); occipital carina evanescent dorsally on head. Clypeus sometimes with a median longitudinal carina, with anterior margin in full-face view slightly convex or truncate medially. Eye situated just in front of midlength of head; distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye 0.9-1.0 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina sometimes present as an evanescent rugula extending beyond midlength of head. Antennal scrobe present only around antennal insertion. Antenna with 3-segmented club; scape slightly extending beyond posterior border of head; terminal segment 1.1-1.2 times as long as preceding two segments together. Promesonotum forming a low and relatively flat dome, with a pair of spines which are variable in length, blunt apically, and divergent from each other in anterior view; posterior declivity of the dome without a distinct prominence (Fig. 70). Mesopleuron without a transverse impression. Propodeal spine straight or slightly curved, occasionally blunt at apex, usually 5 times (rarely much more than 5 times) as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle. Petiole 1.8-2.0 times as long as postpetiole (excluding helcium); petiolar node in posterior view not emarginate at apex. Postpetiole 1.5-1.7 times as broad as petiole.

Dorsal and lateral faces of head including clypeus punctured, or weakly reticulate with punctured enclosures; alitrunk punctured; lateral face of petiolar pedicel punctured very weakly and shining; dorsum of petiole, and postpetiole and gaster smooth and shining. Body yellowish-brown to brown, or dark brown with lighter mandible; flagella and legs lighter than alitrunk.

Lectotype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Eguchi (2001b) - Major, minor and male; Sarawak, Borneo. Seven syntypes (3 majors, 3 minors and 1 male, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) were examined, of which one major is designated as the lectotype.

References

• Eguchi, K. 2001a. A revision of the Bornean species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Tropics Monograph Series. 2:1-154.
• Eguchi, K. 2001b. A taxonomic study on Asian Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): new synonymy, rank changes, lectotype designations and redescriptions. Insecta Koreana. 18:1-35.
• Eguchi, K. 2003. A Study on the Male Genitalia of Some Asian Species of Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). Sociobiology 41(2): 317-355 (page 321, figs. 3A, B male genitalia described)
• Forel, A. 1911a. Fourmis de Bornéo, Singapore, Ceylan, etc. récoltées par MM. Haviland, Green, Winkler, Will, Hose, Roepke et Waldo. Rev. Suisse Zool. 19: 23-62 (page 43, soldier, worker, male described)
• Khachonpisitsak, S., Yamane, S., Sriwichai, P., Jaitrong, W. 2020. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 998, 1–182 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.998.54902).
• Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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