Pheidole sarcina
Pheidole sarcina | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. sarcina |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole sarcina Forel, 1912 |
Rosumek (2017) assessed trophic resource use and period of activity within the ant community in a southern Brazil Atlantic forest. He found this species collected more seeds and feces than other more generalist Phediole species sampled in this study. It is known to commonly nest in twigs within leaf litter (Fernandes et al., 2018).
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Known from type locality, from other localities in São Paulo, and from near Bucay, Guayas, Ecuador (W. L. Brown).
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -24.566667° to -24.566667°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality), Ecuador.
Distribution based on AntMaps
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. |
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. |
Biology
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
Syntype of Pheidole sarcina. Worker. Specimen code casent0908162. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- sarcina. Pheidole breviconus var. sarcina Forel, 1912f: 230 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 748.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole alpinensis, Pheidole androsana, Pheidole antillana, Pheidole avia, Pheidole bakeri, Pheidole guilelmimuelleri and Pheidole praeses, differing in the following combination.
Major: frontal lobes project for short distance as lobes, in side view; humerus obliquely subangulate and mesonotal convexity rightangulate in dorsal-oblique view; petiolar node tapers to a rounded point in side view; postpetiole spinose; shallow, narrow antennal scrobe present; carinulae originating on frontal lobes spread outward all the way to the occiput; occipital lobes smooth with scattered foveae; small rugoreticulum behind each antennal fossa; most of pronotal dorsum and propodeal dorsum carinulate.
Minor: occiput narrow, with nuchal collar; all of posterior dorsum of head and almost all of mesonotal and propodeal dorsa “tigerstriped” with semicircular and transverse carinulae; propodeal spine reduced to denticle.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.54, SL 0.80, EL 0.18, PW 0.72. Syntype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.12, PW 0.46.
COLOR Major: body medium reddish brown, appendages light reddish brown.
Minor: head and mesosoma medium reddish brown; waist, gaster, and appendages light reddish brown.
Figure. Upper: syntype, major. Lower: syntype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
BRAZIL: Botucatu, São Paulo. Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
L sarcina, package, bundle, possibly alluding to frontal cephalic carinulae. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 748, fig. major, minor described, raised to species: new status)
- Barroso, S.C., Longui, E.L., Fernandes, T.T., Oliveira, C.M., Ferreira, A.C., Silva, R.R., Morini, M.S.C. 2020. Twigs occupied by Pheidole Westwood, 1839: Is there a difference between species? Biota Neotropica 20: e20190897 (doi:10.1590/1676-0611-BN-2019-0897).
- Fernandes, T.T., Souza-Campana, D.R., Silva, R.R., Morini, M.S.C. 2018. Ants that frequently colonize twigs in the leaf litter of different vegetation habitats. Sociobiology 65: 340-344 (DOI 10.13102/sociobiology.v65i2.2742).
- Forel, A. 1912g. Formicides néotropiques. Part III. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae (suite). Genres Cremastogaster et Pheidole. Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 19: 211-237 (page 230, soldier, worker described)
- Rosumek, F. B. 2017. Natural History of Ants: What We (do not) Know about Trophic and Temporal Niches of Neotropical Species. Sociobiology. 64:244-255. doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v64i3.1623
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernandes T. T., R. R. Silva, D. Rodrigues de Souza-Campana, O. Guilherme Morais da Silva, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Winged ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) presence in twigs on the leaf litter of Atlantic Forest. Biota Neotropica 19(3): http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0694
- Fernandes T. T., W. Dattilo, R. R. Silva, P. Luna, C. M. Oliveira, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Ant occupation of twigs in the leaf litter of the Atlantic Forest: influence of the environment and external twig structure. Tropical Conservation Science 12: 1-9.
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part III. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae (suite). Genres Cremastogaster et Pheidole. Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 19: 211-237.
- Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
- Luederwaldt H. 1918. Notas myrmecologicas. Rev. Mus. Paul. 10: 29-64.