Pheidole oliveirai

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole oliveirai
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. oliveirai
Binomial name
Pheidole oliveirai
Wilson, 2003

The Cundinamarca and Meta series were collected from steep forested slopes. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Known from the type locality; and from near Villavicencio, Meta; and from Mocoa, Putumayo, 610 m, col. Charles Kugler. The record of P. oliveirai recorded by Fernandes et al. (1994) from San Antonio de Posse, São Paulo, is in error, due to my own misidentification. The species they studied is actually Pheidole oxyops, a member of the diligens group (q.v.). (Wilson 2003)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 4.25° to -22.58333333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (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.

  • oliveirai. Pheidole oliveirai Wilson, 2003: 332, figs. (s.w.) COLOMBIA.

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 fallax group, similar to Pheidole galba and Pheidole huacana, differing as follows.

Major: brown; rugoreticulum on head limited to space between eye and antennal fossa on each side, preceded anteriorly by longitudinal carinulae and posteriorly by rugulae that travel from the frontal lobes to the side of the head; rear half of ventral side of head smooth; nadir of occipital concavity moderate; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; vertex smooth.

Minor: propodeal spines reduced to denticles; occiput narrow, with nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.38, HL 1.54, SL 0.94, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.74, SL 0.86, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: body light brown except for anterior fourth of head capsule, which is brownish yellow, and gaster, which is dark brown.

Minor: body light brown, appendages light brown, tending toward yellowish brown.


Pheidole oliveirai Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

COLOMBIA: Bogotá-Villavicencio Highway, Km 79, Cundinamarca, col. W. L. Brown and I. de Polonia. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Named after Paulo S. Oliveira, distinguished Brazilian myrmecologist and ecologist.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Fernandes W. D., P. S. Oliveira, S. L. Carvalho, and M. E. M. Habib. 1994. Pheidole ants as potential biological control agents of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Southeast Brazil. Journal of Applied Entomology 118: 437-441