Pheidole demeter
Pheidole demeter | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. demeter |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole demeter Wilson, 2003 |
Of three colonies collected by Cover and Tobin at Cuzco Amazónico, Peru, two were nesting in rotten sticks in the litter surface of terra firme forest, and the third was beneath the bark of a palm log in seasonally flooded forest. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Only known from the type locality.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -2.687467° to -12.497473°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: 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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- demeter. Pheidole demeter Wilson, 2003: 186, 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 diligens group closest to Pheidole calimana, Pheidole cataractae, Pheidole scimitara and Pheidole tenuis, differing as follows.
Major: humerus in side view with “sharkfin” extension; propodeal spine small and sharp or else reduced to a denticle as illustrated; posterior half of dorsal head surface covered by longitudinal carinulae, those on occiput broken and faint; space between eye and antennal fossa rugoreticulate.
Minor: propodeal spine absent; occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.12, SL 0.80, EL 0.20, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.62, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.
COLOR Major: head and mandibles light brown with slight reddish tinge; anterior half of first gastral tergite plain light brown; mesosoma and rest of gaster plain medium brown; rest of appendages light, almost yellowish brown.
Minor: concolorous plain medium brown except for first gastral tergite and appendages, which are light brown.
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
Gr demeter, goddess of agriculture and social order.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 186, 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.