Pheidole cuevasi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole cuevasi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. cuevasi
Binomial name
Pheidole cuevasi
Wilson, 2003

Pheidole cuevasi casent0627920 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole cuevasi casent0627920 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The type series was reared by Stefan Cover (personal communication) from an incipient colony found in terra firme rainforest at Cuzco Amazónico, Peru, and nesting in a large, crumbling dead log. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

From Wilson (2003): In addition to the Peruvian type series, I have seen series collected near Diamantino, Mato Grosso, and Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil, col. W. L. Brown.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -4.1° to -12.497473°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil, Peru (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

Worker

Minor

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole cuevasi jtlc000016355 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cuevasi jtlc000016355 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cuevasi jtlc000016355 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cuevasi jtlc000016355 p 4 high.jpgPheidole cuevasi jtlc000016355 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype Pheidole cuevasiWorker. Specimen code jtlc000016355. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by MCZC.

Major

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole cuevasi casent0627920 p 4 high.jpg
Paratype Pheidole cuevasiWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0627920. 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.

  • cuevasi. Pheidole cuevasi Wilson, 2003: 280, 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

A member of the “jujuyensis complex” of the larger fallax group, comprising Pheidole araneoides, Pheidole cuevasi, Pheidole durionei, Pheidole jujuyensis, Pheidole kugleri, Pheidole leonina, Pheidole leptina, Pheidole lucretii, Pheidole lupus, Pheidole paraensis, Pheidole punctithorax, Pheidole tijucana, Pheidole wallacei and Pheidole wolfringi, which complex is characterized in both major and minor by slender body form and exceptionally long antennal scapes and petiolar pedicels; also in the major by a proportionately small head; and in the minor by a strongly developed nuchal collar. P. cuevasi is distinguished as follows.

Major: rugoreticulum covering all the dorsal surface of the head except the occipital lobes, frontal lobes, and middle of clypeus; antennal scapes just reach the occipital corners; pronotal dorsum partly covered by transverse carinulae; first gastral tergite entirely smooth and shiny.

Minor: occipital neck extremely drawn out, and nuchal collar prominent; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.


MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.56, HL 1.62, SL 1.32, EL 0.22, PW 0.80. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 1.04, SL 1.58, EL 0.20, PW 0.44.

COLOR Both castes reddish yellow.

Major: body and mandibles reddish yellow (“orange”) to very light reddish brown.

Minor: reddish yellow (“light orange”).


Pheidole cuevasi Wilson 2003.jpg

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Paratype Specimen Labels

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

Type Material

PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, col. Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Named after John de Cuevas, friend, author, and field companion.

References