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Pheidole hectornitida
| Pheidole hectornitida | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. hectornitida |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole hectornitida Longino, 2019
| |
This species occurs in cloud forest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits, and workers are occasionally collected in Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood. One nest was observed in a large dead log. The wood was solid but breakable by hand. The nest chambers were deep in the log.
Identification
Longino (2019) - Minor: face smooth and shining; head tapering behind to moderately developed occipital carina; promesonotal groove present, distinctly impressed; pronotum entirely smooth and shining; katepisternum with mixture of faint foveolation and irregular rugulae, shiny; propodeal spines spiniform, about half length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae with erect setae; color red brown.
Major: inner hypostomal teeth widely spaced, acicular; scape base terete; face mostly smooth and shining, with longitudinal carinulae between eye and frontal carinae; propodeal spines about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; side of head with erect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant erect setae; tibiae with erect setae.
Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.68, HL 0.92, SL 1.26, EL 0.17, WL 1.24, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.14, PPW 0.21, CI 74, SI 186, PSLI 11, PPI 154 (n=2).
Measurements, major worker: HW 1.32, HL 1.37, SL 1.20, EL 0.20, WL 1.49, PSL 0.11, PTW 0.24, PPW 0.32, CI 97, SI 91, PSLI 9, PPI 137 (n=2).
This species is very similar to Pheidole hector, with similar head shape and general habitus. In minor workers the pilosity is not as dark and the propodeal spines are shorter (PSLI ~11 vs. ~30). In major workers the face is more uniformly smooth and shining, without patches of faint foveolation. A collection from a nearby, lower elevation site (850 m) is of a single minor worker and a single major worker at a bait. These specimens are smaller than the other collections, with minor worker HW 0.52 and major worker HW 1.14. In all other respects they are similar to the other collections. They are possibly specimens from an incipient colony, and the measurements are not included in the means reported above.
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 9.57653° to 9.57653°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (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
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Paratype. Worker (minor). Specimen code CASENT0637216. Photographer Skyler Oswald, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by UCR. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hectornitida. Pheidole hectornitida Longino, 2019: 36, fig. 48 (w.) COSTA RICA.
Type Material
- HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, San José: 8km S Santa Maria, 9.57653 -83.95188 ±20 m, 1510 m, 29-Jun-2015, cloud forest, nest in dead wood (J. Longino, JTL9387) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0637217].
- PARATYPES: major and minor worker: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM].
Description
see the identification section above
Etymology
Similar to P. hector, but the face of the major worker is smooth and shiny.
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126