Pheidole verricula
Pheidole verricula | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. verricula |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole verricula Wilson, 2003 |
From Wilson (2003): Occurs on the leaf litter on the forest floor and in canopy soil in very wet cloud forest and elfin forest (Longino 1997). The Honduras colony found by W. L. Brown was in a forest ravine, nesting in rotten wood.
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Montane Costa Rica above 1500 m, collected at Los Alturas, Braulio Carrillo, and Monteverde by Longino (1997); also Minas Las Animas, above Valle de Angeles, Honduras, 1560 m, col. W. L. Brown.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 10.3° to 8.983333333°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (type locality), Honduras.
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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- verricula. Pheidole verricula Wilson, 2003: 532, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
DIAGNOSIS A relatively large member of the flavens group, distinguished in both major and minor by the dorsal surface of the head being completely rugoreticulate except for the frontal lobes, clypeus, and a small strip of the head capsule just behind the clypeus. In addition, the major has a cornulate humerus and stout, relatively long propodeal spine, and a broad lens-shaped postpetiolar node, and the pronotal dorsum of the minor is completely rugoreticulate.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 1.00, SL 0.46, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.54, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.
COLOR Major: body dark, almost blackish brown, mandibles medium brown, appendages a contrasting dark yellow.
Minor: mandibles and body concolorous medium brown, legs and antennae brownish yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
COSTA RICA: 4 km north-northwest of Las Alturas, Puntarenas, 8°59'N 82°51'W, 1950 m, col. P. S. Ward. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L verriculum, a dragnet, referring to the densely rugoreticulate heads of the major and minor.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 532, fig. major, minor described)