Pheidole teneriffana

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 640

Pheidole teneriffana Forel

Pheidole teneriffana Forel 1893f: 465. Syn.: Pheidole teneriffana subsp. taina Aguayo 1932: 219.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology Named after the place of origin of the types.

Diagnosis Major: unique in the possession of a broad, convex metanotum and a four-lobed mesosomal profile in dorsal-oblique view (2 on pronotum, one each on mesonotum and metanotum); also, presence of a weak antennal scrobe; carinulae cover all the dorsal head surface except for the frontal triangle and midclypeus; carinulae originating laterad to antennal scrobes circle outward and downward again to travel to the eye and behind it; postpetiole elliptical from above. Minor: occiput slightly narrowed, no nuchal collar.

Measurements (mm) Major (Oriente, Cuba): HW 1.34, HL 1.34, SL 0.82, EL 0.20, PW 0.64. Minor (Oriente, Cuba): HW 0.62, HL 0.70, SL 0.74, EL 0.14, PW 0.34.

color Major and minor: light yellowish brown, with head, mandibles, and gaster a slightly darker shade.

Range Canary Islands and Mediterranean area. 1 have examined series from Egypt and Malta. The species, in addition to Aguayo's hotel series from Cuba, has been discovered by Michael J. Martinez (1992) in Admiral Kidd Park in western Long Beach, California. Another collection was made at Lima, Peru, by M. Pacheco, in 1991. The true origin of this tramp species is unknown, but the best guess is the Mediterranean region.

Biology In 1989 Martinez (1992) found a population occupying about two hectares of Admiral Kidd Park, evidently consisting of a single continuous, polydomous colony. The separate nests contained large numbers of workers and multiple inseminated queens, as many as 23 in one instance. Nest sites included lawns and open ground, where nest entrances were surmounted by mounds of excavated soil; crevices of sidewalks and curbs; and the bases of trees. New nest sites were occupied by budding from occupied sites. The workers were aggressive toward other ant species; they preyed on insects and harvested seeds. By 1998, according to Gulmahamad and Martinez (1999), the population was extinct. It had been weakened by attempts to exterminate it and changes in the nest habitat, and given the coup de grace by encroaching Argentine ants ( Linepithema humile ).

Figure Upper: major. Lower: minor. CUBA: Hotel Telegrafo, Holguin, Oriente (lectotype and paralectotype of P. teneriffana subsp. taina Aguayo ). (Type locality: Tenerife, Canary Islands.) Also, see excellent figure by Snelling (1992b). Scale bars = 1 mm.