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Pheidole exquisita
| Pheidole exquisita | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. exquisita |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole exquisita Wilson, 2003 | |
The holotype colony was collected in litter of rainforest in a ravine. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Known from the type locality (3 km east of Tandapi, Ecuador, at 1300 m), and nearby, 15 km east of Tandapi at 2300 m. (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -0.4382° to -0.4382°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Ecuador (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. |
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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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- exquisita. Pheidole exquisita Wilson, 2003: 418, figs. (s.w.) ECUADOR.
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 nitella, Pheidole christopherseni, Pheidole nigricula, Pheidole olsoni, Pheidole protensa, Pheidole pygmaea and Pheidole sagittaria but differing as follows.
Major: yellow; head elongate as shown; eyes set far forward, so that their distance from anterior margin of head is only an Eye Length; propodeal spines absent, replaced by obtuse angle (side view) or rounded juncture (dorsal-oblique view); carinulae extend only slightly behind eye level of head, including frontal lobes, and rest of body entirely smooth and shiny.
Minor: eye large, tapered anteriorly, and set far forward on head; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; carinulae on head extend only back to anterior margin of eyes, and all the rest of head and body smooth and shiny; occiput broad, its margin flat. Differs from the closely similar nigella in size, head shape, cephalic sculpture, eye shape, and minor scape length.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.76, HL 1.08, SL 0.46, EL 0.12, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.52, SL 0.48, EL 0.10, PW 0.28.
COLOR Major and minor: concolorous medium yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
ECUADOR: 3 km east of Tandapi, Pichincha, 1300 m, col. S. and J. Peck. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L exquisita, excellent, choice, fine.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 418, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.