Pheidole cubaensis

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 624

publication ID

20017

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6274384

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8D50F738-C8EC-5605-2AED-DA8D5B5D7069

treatment provided by

Donat

scientific name

Pheidole cubaensis
status

 

Pheidole cubaensis View in CoL   HNS Mayr

Pheidole cubaensis   HNS Mayr 1862: 747. (Type locality: Cuba.) Syn.: Pheidole cubaensis var. grayi   HNS Mann 1920b: 426, n. syn. (junior homonym of P. grayi   HNS Forel 1902c: 167, nec cubaensis   HNS )

Types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.

Etymology Named after the country of origin.

Diagnosis A large, dark reddish brown member of the scrobifera   HNS group.

Major: deep antennal scrobes present; rear third of the dorsal head surface rugoreticulate; propodeal spines moderately long and slender; postpetiole cornulate; a small subpostpetiolar process present; pilosity short, dense, and erect.

Minor: postpetiolar node diamond-shaped; propodeal spines long, slender, and straight; venter of head transversely carinulate; dorsa of head and mesosoma almost entirely foveolate and opaque.

A unique species, placed in the scrobifera   HNS group tentatively because of the habitus of the major, but the minor shows overall resemblance to the tristis-group species alayoi   HNS , macromischoides, and naylae of Cuba and androsana   HNS of the Bahamas.

measurements (mm) Major (" var. grayi   HNS " syntype): HW 1.92, HL 2.16, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.82.

Minor (" var. grayi   HNS " syntype): HW 0.66, HL 0.72, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.

Color Major and minor: body dark reddish brown, appendages dark yellow to yellowish brown.

Range Cuba.

Biology Evidently a rare species: few collections have been made despite its conspicuously large size. I found a colony in Blanco's Woods, Las Villas Province, Cuba, with winged reproductives on 25 June 1953.

figure Upper: major, syntype of var. grayi   HNS . Lower: minor, syntype of var. grayi   HNS . CUBA: Limones. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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