Pheidole laselvoides

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

Pheidole laselvoides CASENT0646665 p.jpg

Pheidole laselvoides CASENT0646665 d.jpg

Paratype Labels

This species inhabits lowland rain forest. Workers recruit to ground baits and are collected in Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter and rotten wood from the forest floor. Nests have been observed mostly in soft rotten wood on the forest floor. Nest have also been found under epiphyte mats in old treefalls and under a stone.

Identification

Minor: face smooth and shining; promesonotal groove absent; promesonotum and katepisternum smooth and shiny; dorsal face of propodeum foveolate; anterior and dorsal faces of pronotum separated by a single transverse carina; propodeal spines short triangular denticles, < one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae lack erect setae; color red brown.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth small denticles, inconspicuous, about half way between midline and outer hypostomal teeth; scape base terete; face mostly smooth and shining, with fine, somewhat closely spaced longitudinal carinulae on anterior third; propodeal spines short triangular teeth, upturned, < one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; side of head with short suberect setae; mesosomal and gastral dorsum with abundant flexuous erect setae; tibiae without erect setae.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.38, HL 0.42, SL 0.35, EL 0.09, WL 0.47, PSL 0.02, PTW 0.06, PPW 0.10, CI 90, SI 92, PSLI 5, PPI 158 (n=6).

Measurements, major worker: HW 0.69, HL 0.80, SL 0.41, EL 0.11, WL 0.63, PSL 0.03, PTW 0.11, PPW 0.19, CI 87, SI 60, PSLI 5, PPI 177 (n=6).

Measurements, queen: HW 0.65, HL 0.66, SL 0.42, EL 0.20, WL 0.98, PSL 0.04, PTW 0.19, PPW 0.30, CI 99, SI 65, PSLI 6, PPI 151 (n=2).

Pheidole laselva and P. laselvoides are a cryptic species pair that were initially conflated. DNA barcoding revealed two broadly sympatric clades, and subsequent examination revealed morphological differences in the major worker. The major of P. laselvoides has more and finer carinulae on the face between the frontal carinae; and the pilosity on the side of the head is shorter and more appressed. The minor workers are currently inseparable by visual inspection. Wilson's Pheidole ebenina was synonymized under P. laselva by Longino (2009), prior to understanding of the two cryptic species. It has the major face sculpture of true P. laselva and remains a synonym.

Distribution

Nicaragua to Panama

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.333° to 10.333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (type locality), Nicaragua, Panama.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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 laselvoides CASENT0646660 h.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0646660 p.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0646660 d.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0646660 l.jpg
Paratype Minor. Specimen code CASENT0646660. Photographer Michele Esposito.

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole laselvoides CASENT0635481 h.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0635481 p.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0635481 p2.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0635481 l.jpg
Specimen code CASENT0635481. Photographer J Longino.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole laselvoides CASENT0619485 h.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0619485 p.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0619485 d.jpgPheidole laselvoides CASENT0619485 l.jpg
Specimen code CASENT0619485. Photographer J Longino.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • . Pheidole Longino, 2019: 43, fig. 3 (w.q.) COSTA RICA.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Heredia: 22km N Volcan Barba, 10.333 -84.067 ± 2km, 500 m, 15-Mar-1985, wet forest, nest in rotten wood (J. Longino, JTL0209) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier INBIOCRI002279737].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC USNM, MUCR].

Description

Etymology

Similar to P. laselva.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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