Pheidole rubiceps

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

Nothing is known about the biology of rubiceps.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.06687° to 5.266667°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Venezuela (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.

  • rubiceps. Pheidole rubiceps Wilson, 2003: 345, figs. (s.w.) VENEZUELA.

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, closest to Pheidole cardinalis, Pheidole caribbaea, Pheidole kukrana, Pheidole mantilla and Pheidole obscurior (=Pheidole susannae) (also scan Pheidole alienata, Pheidole fallax, Pheidole jelskii, Pheidole lanigera, Pheidole lattkei, Pheidole lovejoyi, Pheidole nubicola, Pheidole puttemansi, Pheidole roushae, Pheidole susannae and Pheidole tobini), and distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: tip of antennal scape approaches occipital corner to within scape maximum width; posterior dorsal profile of head very weakly concave; bicolorous, with reddish yellow head and brown body; propodeal spine long and thin; postpetiole diamondshaped; pronotum bare of carinulae.

Minor: propodeal spine moderately long and very thin (needle-like); mesonotal convexity angulate; nuchal collar present.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.22, HL 1.36, SL 1.12, EL 0.20, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.82, SL 1.20, EL 0.16, PW 0.42.

COLOR Major: bicolorous, with head and mandibles reddish yellow and body a contrasting plain medium brown; legs light brown except for tarsi, which are yellow.


Pheidole rubiceps Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

VENEZUELA: Rancho Grande, 1100 m, col. R. W. Poole. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L rubiceps, red-headed.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
  • Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, F. Petitclerc, B. Corbara, M. Leponce, R. Cereghino, and A. Dejean. 2017. Litter-dwelling ants as bioindicators to gauge the sustainability of small arboreal monocultures embedded in the Amazonian rainforest. Ecological Indicators 82: 43-49.
  • Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, M. Leponce, J. Orivel, R. Silvestre, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, and A. Dejean. 2013. Leaf-litter ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a pristine Guianese rainforest: stable functional structure versus high species turnover. Myrmecological News 19: 43-51.