Pheidole yucatana

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

From a nest in dry soil at roadside. A winged queen was present in the nest on 25 July. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.48333333° to 18.90297°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (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.

  • yucatana. Pheidole yucatana Wilson, 2003: 608, figs. (s.w.) MEXICO.

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

Description

DIAGNOSIS A member of the “bicarinata complex” of the larger pilifera group, comprising Pheidole agricola, Pheidole aurea, Pheidole barbata, Pheidole bicarinata, Pheidole centeotl, Pheidole cerebrosior, Pheidole defecta, Pheidole gilvescens, Pheidole macclendoni, Pheidole macrops, Pheidole marcidula, Pheidole paiute, Pheidole pinealis, Pheidole xerophila, Pheidole yaqui and Pheidole yucatana, which complex is characterized by the large to very large, forward-set eyes in both castes; and, in the major, the occipital lobes lacking any sculpturing (except in aurea); the posterior half of the head capsule almost entirely smooth and shiny; and the postpetiolar node seen from above oval, elliptical, or laterally subangular (cornulate in cerebrosior).

P. yucatana is distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: in side view, promesonotal juncture subangulate; propodeal spines reduced to right angles; occiput sprinkled with sparse but coarse foveae; faint carinulae extend from behind eye to occipital corners; postpetiolar node from above laterally subangulate.

Minor: in side view propodeal spines reduced to right angles.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.20, SL 0.58, EL 0.10, PW 0.48.

Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.60, SL 0.54, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.

COLOR Major: body medium reddish brown, appendages light reddish brown.

Minor: body light plain brown, tarsi and tibiae yellow, rest of appendages brownish yellow.


Pheidole yucatana Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

MEXICO: 11 km south of Progreso, col. E. O. Wilson. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L yucatana, from the Mexican region of the type locality.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133