Pheidole quinata

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Pheidole quinata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. quinata
Binomial name
Pheidole quinata
Eguchi, 2000

Pheidole quinata casent0901624 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole quinata casent0901624 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species seems to inhabit hill forests. The type specimens were collected from bait traps and soil sifting on the forest floor along a trail.

Identification

This species and Pheidole sabahna both have subcastes with a 5-segmented antennal club. They are well distinguished from each other by the characters given below.

Eguchi (2000):

sabahna quinata
Upper frons and vertex, major not concave concave
Promesonotal convexity, minor low high
Metanotal groove, minor distinct indistinct
Number of erect or suberect hairs on dorsal surface of alitrunk except promesonotal suture, minor > 20 ca. 10

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 3.908611111° to 3.258333333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia.

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.

  • quinata. Pheidole quinata Eguchi, 2000: 691, figs. 11-18 (s.w.) BORNEO. See also: Eguchi, 2001b: 100.

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

Description

Worker

Eguchi 2001. Figure 40.

Eguchi (2001) - Major (n=1): TL 5.0 mm, HL 2.40 mm, HW 2.24 mm, SL 1.24 mm, FL 1.91 mm, CI 93; SI 55, FI 85. Head in full-face view broadest just behind midlength of head (Fig. 40A); head in profile impressed on vertex (Fig. 40B). Hypostoma with three median processes, of which medianmost one is inconspicuous. Clypeus with a median longitudinal carina, with anterior margin shallowly emarginate. Eye situated at 1/3 distance of head (as measured from the mid-point of a transverse line spanning the anteriormost and posteriormost projecting points, respectively); distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye ca. 2.2 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina very weak, just reaching 1/3 distance of head. Antennal scrobe present only around antennal insertion. Antenna with 5-segmented club (Fig. 40C); scape reaching 3/5 distance of head. Masticatory margin of head with apical and preapical teeth, and a denticle in front of basal angle. Promesonotal dome with a small prominence on its posterior declivity; the prominence in anterior view not concave medially; each dorsolateral portion of the dome weakly produced outward (Fig. 40D). Mesopleuron weakly divided by a transverse impression into upper and lower parts. Propodeal spine horn-like, straight, ca. 3 times as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle. Petiole cuneiform, almost as long as postpetiole, bearing a low subpetiolar process (Fig. 40E); petiolar node in posterior view emarginate at apex. Postpetiole in dorsal view subpentagonal, ca. 2.2 times as broad as petiolar node.

Frons longitudinally rugose; vertex, occipital lobe and lateral face of head rugoso-reticulate, with very weakly punctured enclosures; promesonotum with transverse but irregular rugulae; mesopleuron partially smooth and shining; propodeum rugose except for its smooth declivitous face; petiole smooth and shining dorsally, finely punctured laterally and ventrally; postpetiole and the anterior part of first gastral segment finely punctured. Outer face of mandible sparsely covered with decumbent hairs, which are 0.13-0.26 mm in length and longer than distance between pUigerous punctures. Body dark brown; flagella and legs brown.

Minor (n=16): TL 2.5-2.7 mm, HL 0.78-0.84 mm, HW 0.70-0.75 mm, SL 1.06-1.13 mm, AL 1.15-1.23 mm, FL 1.16-1.25 mm, CI 86-89, SI 147-154, FI 164-168. Head in full-face view oval (Fig. 40F); occipital carina well developed. Clypeus with a weak median longitudinal carina, with anterior margin weakly emarginate medially. Eye situated at about midlength of head; distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye 1.1-1.2 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina and antennal scrobe present only around antennal insertion. Antenna with 5-segmented club (Fig. 40G); in full-face view scape well extending beyond posterior margin of head by more than its 1/3 length. Promesonotum forming a relatively high dome, with a pair of low tubercles, with a prominence on its posterior declivity. Mesopleuron without a transverse impression. Metanotal groove shallow and indistinct (Fig. 40H). Propodeal spine horn-like, slender, directed dorsally, at most 5 times as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle. Petiole in profile cuneiform, 0.8-0.9 times as long as postpetiole; petiolar node in posterior view not emarginate at apex. Postpetiole longer than broad, almost twice as broad as petiole, in profile hemispherical, convex dorsally and slightly convex ventrally.

Clypeus smooth and shining, sometimes with a few rugulae; remainder of head almost smooth and shining; promesonotum smooth and shining; remainder of alitrunk distinctly punctured; petiole (excluding weakly punctured lateral face) smooth and shining; postpetiole and gaster almost smooth and shining over the surface. In profile dorsum of promesonotal dome in front of the prominence on its posterior declivity bearing approximately 20 standing hairs; remainder of dorsum of alitrunk bearing approximately 10 standing hairs (Fig. 40H). Head and alitrunk brown to dark brown; petiole, postpetiole, gaster, flagellar segments and legs lighter than alitrunk.

Paratype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Eguchi (2001) - Major Universiti Malaysia Sabah holotype. Paratypes 9 minors (Universiti Malaysia Sabah Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna). Sayap Kinabalu (ca. 1000 m alt.), Sabah, Borneo. Honey bait. K Eguchi leg.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Eguchi K. 2000. Two new Pheidole species with a 5-segmented antennal club (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological Science 3: 687-692.
  • Eguchi K. 2001. A revision of the Bornean species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Tropics Monograph Series 2: 1-154.
  • Kishimoto-Yamata K., F. Hyodo, M. Matsuoka, Y. Hashimoto, M. Kon, T. Ochi, S. Yamane, R. Ishii, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6
  • Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58