Pheidole caracalla
Pheidole caracalla | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. caracalla |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole caracalla Wilson, 2003 |
This species is only known from a few collections. Winged queens were found in March at the type locality and in April in Yasuni National Park. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Known only from the type locality and from Yasuni National Park, Puerto Tipugini, Ecuador, col. S. O’Donnell. (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -9.166667° to -9.166667°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Ecuador, Peru (type locality).
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. |
Biology
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
Paratype Pheidole caracalla. Worker. Specimen code casent0624241. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by MCZC. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
Paratype Pheidole caracalla. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code jtlc000016339. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by MCZC. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
Paratype Pheidole caracalla. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0624242. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by MCZC. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- caracalla. Pheidole caracalla Wilson, 2003: 388, figs. (s.w.) PERU.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Similar in various traits to Pheidole breviscapa (=Pheidole perpusilla), Pheidole bruchella, Pheidole micon, Pheidole nana, Pheidole subreticulata and Pheidole tennantae, differing as follows. Major: reddish brown; pilosity thick and long, especially on mesosoma, waist, and gaster, where many hairs are 1.5X eye Length or longer; pronotum weakly bilobate in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines robust and moderately long; petiolar node in side view thick, its apex broad and rounded; postpetiole from above bell-shaped; a narrow band of rugoreticulum extends from eye to antennal fossa on each side; most of head carinulate, except for occiput, frontal triangle, and midclypeus; sides of propodeum carinulate. Minor: reddish yellow; pilosity dense and long; pronotum in dorsal-oblique view subangulate; petiolar node in side view thick, with broadly rounded apex; occiput slightly narrowed, with straight posterior margin.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 0.90, SL 0.44, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.54, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.
COLOR Major: light reddish brown except for gaster, which is dark brown. Minor: medium reddish yellow except for gaster, which is dark brown.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
PERU: Tingo Maria, Huánaco, col. W. L. Brown and W. Sherbrooke. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L caracalla, great coat with hood, referring to the dense, long pilosity.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 388, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Bezdeckova K., P. Bedecka, and I. Machar. 2015. A checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Zootaxa 4020 (1): 101–133.
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.