Pheidole pinealis Wheeler

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 591

publication ID

20017

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6274322

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AF5C5990-BC9B-C9FB-3939-DBF251B2DB76

treatment provided by

Donat

scientific name

Pheidole pinealis Wheeler
status

 

Pheidole pinealis Wheeler View in CoL   HNS

Pheidole pinealis Wheeler   HNS 1908h: 459.

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

Etymology Unknown.

diagnosis A member of the " bicarinata   HNS complex" of the larger pilifera   HNS group, comprising agricola   HNS , aurea   HNS , barbata   HNS , bicarinata   HNS , centeotl   HNS , cerebrosior   HNS , ceres   HNS , defecta   HNS , gilvescens   HNS , macclendoni   HNS , macrops   HNS , marcidula   HNS , paiute   HNS , pinealis   HNS , vinelandica   HNS , xerophila   HNS , yaqui   HNS , and yucatana   HNS , which complex is characterized by the large to very large, forward-set eyes, especially in the minor; and in the major, the occipital lobes lacking any sculpturing (except in aurea   HNS ); the posterior half of the head capsule smooth and shiny; and the postpetiole seen from above oval, elliptical, or laterally angulate (cornulate in cerebrosior   HNS ). P. pinealis   HNS differs within the complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: dark spot on vertex; humerus in dorsal-oblique view right-angulate; petiole in side view tapers to a point, and from behind is deeply concave; postpetiolar lateral extension from above horn-shaped; erect pilosity of pronotum long and dense. Minor: humerus in dorsal-oblique view feebly subangulate; postpetiole from above roughly diamond-shaped. Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.06, HL 1.24, SL 0.52, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.54, SL 0.46, EL 0.10, PW 0.30.

color Major: head and mesosoma light brown with a slightly reddish tinge; center of head dorsum with contrasting circular dark brown spot, as illustrated; waist and gaster dark brown; appendages brownish yellow.

Minor: concolorous medium brown (brownish yellow, possibly faded, in paralectotype); appendages yellowish brown.

Range Known only from western Texas and a series from Guanajuato, central Mexico.

biology The type colony was found beneath a stone; the nest contained seed caches (Wheeler 1908h). In western Texas, Moody and Francke found three colonies, variously at 1000-1200 m, nesting, respectively, beneath a stone and cow dung and in open soil.

FIGURE Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. TEXAS: Limpio Canyon, Ft. Davis, Davis Mts., Jeff Davis Co., southwestern Texas (W. M. Wheeler). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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