Pheidole littoralis Cole

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 581

publication ID

20017

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6274300

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/44E4187D-6933-F96C-A65C-274D9E71425C

treatment provided by

Donat

scientific name

Pheidole littoralis Cole
status

 

Pheidole littoralis Cole View in CoL   HNS

Pheidole sitarches littoralis Cole   HNS 1952b: 443. Raised to species level by Naves 1985: 64.

Types Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; Nat. Mus. Nat. Hist. U.S.; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L littoralis   HNS , of the shore, referring to the habitat at the type locality.

diagnosis A member of the " pilifera   HNS complex" of the larger pilifera   HNS group, comprising calens   HNS , californica   HNS , carrolli   HNS , cavigenis   HNS , clementensis   HNS , creightoni   HNS , hoplitica   HNS , littoralis   HNS , micula   HNS , pilifera   HNS , polymorpha   HNS , rugulosa   HNS , senex   HNS , soritis   HNS , tepicana   HNS , torosa   HNS , which complex is characterized by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes horizontally rugulose (or, in carrolli   HNS smooth, in littoralis   HNS foveate, and in micula   HNS and soritis   HNS carinulate; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped, trapezoidal, or spinose. Minor: eye medium-sized to large.

P. littoralis   HNS is easily distinguished within the complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: occiput not rugulose, but covered with conspicuous foveae; anterior and lateral margins of pronotum rugoreticulate; mesonotum longitudinally carinulate; triangular subpostpetiolar process present; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped.

Minor: most of head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Paratype major: HW 1.40, HL 1.52, SL 0.56, EL 0.20, PW 0.58.

Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.50, SL 0.42, EL 0.12, PW 0.28.

color Major: gaster plain medium to dark brown; remainder of body, and appendages, reddish brown. Minor: most of body light brown, with dark brown gaster and brownish yellow appendages.

Range Apparently limited to central Florida.

biology Naves (1985) and Stefan Cover (unpublished) found littoralis   HNS very common nesting in white-sand scrub at the Archbold Field Station near Lake Placid, Florida, and close to colonies of adrianoi   HNS and metallescens   HNS . The excavations are relatively very deep, beneath crescentic crater mounds, and the colonies small. A granary chamber filled with seeds is always found 10 to 20 cm beneath the surface.

Figure Upper: paratype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. FLORIDA: Lido Beach, Sarasota. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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