Pheidole humeralis
Pheidole humeralis | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. humeralis |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole humeralis Wheeler, W.M., 1908 |
P. humeralis is evidently a rare species. During their intensive collecting in western Texas, Moody and Francke (1982) found the species only once, four colonies in Kinney County at 220 meters nesting in open clayey soil. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Known only from the type locality and western Texas (Moody and Francke 1982).
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 33.410236° to 28.74358°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States (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
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
Worker. Specimen code casent0103141. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
Major
. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- humeralis. Pheidole humeralis Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 456, pl. 27, fig. 39 (s.w.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 438.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in some traits to Pheidole furtiva, Pheidole mera and Pheidole tysoni, differing as follows.
Major: reddish yellow, with pale brown spot on vertex; head elongate, its posterior ventral profile flat; humeri strongly developed and subangulate, in dorsal view overhanging the rest of the pronotum beneath them and in dorsal-oblique view extending more than 4 higher above the metanotal groove than the mesonotal convexity; propodeal spines robust, as long as half the propodeal basal face preceding them; postpetiole from above oval.
Minor: posterior half of head and all of pronotum smooth and shiny; in dorsal-oblique view, humerus subangulate and promesonotal profile behind it flat before dropping to metanotal groove; occiput broad, its margin strongly concave.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.02, HL 1.28, SL 0.52, EL 0.12, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.52, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.
COLOR Major: body and appendages medium reddish yellow except for pale brown spot on vertex and yellowish brown gaster. Minor: body medium brown, appendages yellowish brown.
Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
TEXAS: Corsicana, Navarro Co., near Dallas-Ft. Worth, col. Mary Cooper. Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
L humeralis, of the shoulder, alluding to the elevated humerus of the major. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Moody, J. V., Francke, O. F. 1982. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas, Part 1: Subfamily Myrmicinae. Grad. Stud. Tex. Tech Univ. 27: 1–80.
- Wheeler, W. M. 1908h. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: 399-485 (page 456, pl. 27, fig. 39 soldier, worker described)
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 438, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- McDonald D. L., D. R. Hoffpauir, and J. L. Cook. 2016. Survey yields seven new Texas county records and documents further spread of Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Southwestern Entomologist, 41(4): 913-920.
- Moody J. V., and O. F. Francke. 1982. The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Western Texas Part 1: Subfamily Myrmicinae. Graduate Studies Texas Tech University 27: 80 pp.
- O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
- Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press