Pheidole chrysops

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

Pheidole chrysops casent0178010 profile 1.jpg

Pheidole chrysops casent0178010 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

The Paraguay colony was in a nest in leaf litter in “high forests” (Alex Wild).

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Known from the type locality and from a single series, nearly identical to the types, from Reserva Mbaracayú, Jejuimi, Dept. Canindeyú, Paraguay. (Wilson 2003)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -0.63831° to -22.809943°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

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 chrysops casent0178011 head 1.jpgPheidole chrysops casent0178011 profile 1.jpgPheidole chrysops casent0178011 dorsal 1.jpgPheidole chrysops casent0178011 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0178011. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection.

Nomenclature

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

  • chrysops. Pheidole chrysops Wilson, 2003: 180, figs. (s.w.) BRAZIL.

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

Description

A small, yellow species tentatively placed in the diligens group but with clear ties to some members of the fallax group, i.e., Pheidole aenescens, Pheidole bergi, Pheidole cordiceps and Pheidole midas, from which it is distinguished by the following set of traits.

Major: head heart-shaped, but with occipital angles in full-face view tending toward subangulate; propodeal spine short, equilaterally triangular; pronotal profile in dorsal-oblique view slightly bilobous; pilosity long and dense; head lacking rugoreticulum, and carinulae limited to anterior half of head with frontal lobes mostly bare.

Minor: occiput narrowed but lacking nuchal collar; in profile, mesonotum moderately convex.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.96, SL 0.74, EL 0.18, PW 0.52. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.54, SL 0.66, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: concolorous dark (“golden”) yellow.

Minor: clear medium yellow.


Pheidole chrysops Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

BRAZIL: Taperinha, Santarem, Pará, col. Robert L. Jeanne. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Gr chrysops, like gold, referring to the dark yellow color of the major.

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.
  • Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.