Pheidole monstrosa

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Pheidole monstrosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. monstrosa
Binomial name
Pheidole monstrosa
Wilson, 2003

Nothing is known about the biology of monstrosa.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -9.7° to -18.94388889°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (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

Nomenclature

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

  • monstrosa. Pheidole monstrosa Wilson, 2003: 255, figs. (s.w.) BRAZIL.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

A member of the distorta group, closest to Pheidole distorta, Pheidole reclusi and Pheidole scapulata, differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: dorsal half of head in side view moderately concave; occiput, frontal lobes, frontal triangle, and clypeus longitudinally carinulate, rest of dorsal head surface rugoreticulate; dorsa of promesonotum, petiolar node, and postpetiolar node rugoreticulate; anterior fourth of first gastral tergite striate; promesonotum in profile raised and strongly convex, descending to the metanotum through a nearly vertical face.

Minor: almost all of head and all of promesonotal dorsum conspicuously carinulate.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.42, HL 1.84, SL 0.68, EL 0.20, PW 0.84. Paratype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.64, SL 0.56, EL 0.12, PW 0.42.

COLOR Major: head and mesosoma light to medium reddish brown, waist and gaster dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Minor: body and head dark brown except anterior fifth of gena, which is yellowish brown; appendages medium to dark brown.


Pheidole monstrosa Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

BRAZIL: Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, col. James C. Trager. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

NL monstrosa, strange.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Pacheco R., and H. L. Vasconcelos. 2007. Invertebrate conservation in urban areas: ants in the Brazilian Cerrado. Landscape and Urban Planning 81: 193–199.