Pheidole eosimilis

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Pheidole eosimilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. eosimilis
Binomial name
Pheidole eosimilis
Longino, 2019

Pheidole eosimilis CASENT0619392 p.jpg

Pheidole eosimilis CASENT0619392 d.jpg

Holotype Labels

This species occurs in lowland to lower montane wet forest. Minor workers and occasional major workers recruit to ground baits. Workers occur in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter and rotten wood. Two nests have been observed, both in rotten wood. One nest contained a seed cache. Another nest was in a cavity in a 15-20 cm diameter dead buttress, a few cm above ground. The entrance was covered with a thin-walled dome of accreted organic material, with two entrance holes in the dome.

Identification

Longino (2019) - Minor: clypeus completely smooth, without medial carina; face smooth and shining; promesonotal groove very weakly impressed; mesosoma almost entirely smooth and shining; propodeal spines long, about as long as posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; abundant, flexuous, erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum; color dark brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth stout, closely spaced; scape base terete; face foveolate throughout, overlain with reticulate rugulae, rugulae more longitudinally oriented anteriorly; propodeal spines about one half length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum very faintly foveolate on anterior third, fading to smooth and shiny; abundant erect setae on face, sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.71, HL 0.78, SL 1.08, EL 0.15, WL 1.16, PSL 0.12, PTW 0.13, PPW 0.17, CI 90, SI 153, PSLI 16, PPI 138 (n=10).

Measurements, major worker: HW 2.46, HL 2.53, SL 1.13, EL 0.27, WL 1.91, PSL 0.19, PTW 0.36, PPW 0.61, CI 97, SI 46, PSLI 8, PPI 169 (n=2).

Measurements, queen: HW 2.27, HL 2.06, SL 1.18, EL 0.37, WL 2.55, PSL 0.17, PTW 0.54, PPW 0.84, CI 110, SI 52, PSLI 8, PPI 156 (n=1).

This species is very similar to Pheidole eowilsoni, with which it is sympatric. The minor worker of P. eowilsoni has a longitudinal median carina on the clypeus. The major worker has the vertex lobes smoother, the scape base is flatter, and the anterior face of the petiolar node is less differentiated from the peduncle. Although very similar to P. eowilsoni, COI barcode data widely separate the two species.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 12.96018° to 12.96018°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Nicaragua (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 eosimilis CASENT0619639 h.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619639 p.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619639 d.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619639 l.jpg
ParatypeWorker (minor). Specimen code CASENT0619639. Photographer J. Longino, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole eosimilis CASENT0619391 h.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619391 p.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619391 d.jpgPheidole eosimilis CASENT0619391 l.jpg
ParatypeQueen (alate/dealate). Specimen code CASENT0619391. Photographer J. Longino, 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.

  • eosimilis. Pheidole eosimilis Longino, 2019: 33, fig. 54 (w.q.) NICARAGUA.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Nicaragua, Matagalpa: 3km N Rio Blanco, 12.96018 -85.22488 ±50 m, 690 m, 1-May-2011, mature wet forest, nest in rotten wood (J.Longino, JTL7435) [MCZC, unique specimen identifier CASENT0619392].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers, queen: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, USNM].

Description

see the identification section above

Etymology

Similar to P. eowilsoni.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126