Pheidole pubiventris

Longino, J. T., 2009, Additions to the taxonomy of New World Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 2181, pp. 1-90 : 66-67

publication ID

22820

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F84E23F9-9FE9-4728-B51D-3078D6EDB7E2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6222878

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/632F9553-90DA-0BB5-B92D-E0C255EC16C2

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Pheidole pubiventris
status

 

Pheidole pubiventris View in CoL View at ENA   HNS

Pheidole pubiventris Mayr, 1887: 595   HNS . Syntype major worker, minor worker, queen: Brazil, Santa Catarina (Hetschko) [ NMW, MCZ] (examined).

Pheidole pubiventris subsp. variegata Emery, 1896: 72   HNS . Lectotype major worker (here designated, as labeled by Wilson 2003) and associated paralectotype minor worker, queen: Costa Rica, San Jose (Alfaro) [ MHNG] (not examined). Wilson, 2003: 245: raised to species. New synonymy.

Pheidole indistincta Forel, 1899: 75   HNS . Lectotype major worker (here designated, as labeled by Wilson 2003): Costa Rica (Tonduz) [ MHNG] (examined). New synonymy.

Pheidole pubiventris r. cearensis Forel, 1901a: 353   HNS . Syntype major, minor worker: Brazil, Ceara, Biturite (Schmitt) (not examined). Wilson, 2003: 218: junior synonym of P. pubiventris   HNS .

Pheidole pubiventris r. nevadensis Forel, 1901a: 353   HNS . Syntype major, minor worker, queen: Colombia, Magdalena, San Antonio,>1000m elevation (Forel) (not examined). Wilson, 2003: 218: junior synonym of P. pubiventris   HNS .

Pheidole pubiventris r. timmii Forel, 1901b: 62   HNS . Syntype major, minor worker: U.S.A., Louisiana, New Orleans, "probably of Mexican origin" (Timm) (not examined). Wilson, 2003: 218: junior synonym of P. pubiventris   HNS .

Geographic Range

Southern Brazil to Mexico.

Biology

This species occurs in open areas and synanthropic habitats. It has been collected at baits during the day or night, and as nocturnal foragers.

Comments

This species appears to have a broad range, as often occurs in species favoring synanthropic habitats, but it is also infrequently collected and, among the few collections, shows a high degree of variability.

Collections by W. M. Wheeler at Cartago, Costa Rica, have the major worker scapes flattened at the base, the scapes are relatively short (SI 73), and the first gastral tergum has a cluster of about ten long erect setae anteriorly, underlain by fully appressed sparse pubescence, individual setae of which are about as long as distance among them. Specimens collected by Trager at CATIE, a site near Turrialba and only 30km from Cartago, have majors with thinner scape bases, longer scapes (SI 81), and the first gastral tergum with about five long erect setae and the underlying appressed pubescence much sparser, the individual setae of which are much further apart than their length. A collection from a dry forest site in lowland Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica, is very similar to the Cartago specimens, with major worker scapes flattened, SI 67, and similar underlying pubescence. Collections from southern Mexico (Sierra Madre de Chiapas) have major worker with flattened scapes, but the scapes are relatively long (SI 82) and the pubescence on the gaster is subdecumbent rather than fully appressed. The types of P. pubiventris   HNS , from southern Brazil, have the major worker scape somewhat flattened (more so than illustration in Wilson 2003:218), intermediate between the Cartago and CATIE collections from Costa Rica. Based on Wilson's measurements, scapes are relatively short, SI 75. No observations were made on the pilosity of the gaster. The types of Emery's P. variegata   HNS , from San Jose, Costa Rica, were not examined, but Wilson's illustration (2003:245) and measurements suggest a form with narrow scape bases and scapes relatively long (SI 84), perhaps similar to the CATIE collection. Finally, the lectotype major worker of Forel's P. indistincta   HNS , from "Costa Rica," is identical to Wheeler's Cartago collections. This was an early collection by Tonduz, and was probably from the same population in Costa Rica's central valley.

NMW

Austria, Wien, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

MCZ

USA, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF