Pheidole polymorpha, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 592

publication ID

20017

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6274324

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F97B9222-07CC-C73C-CEC4-7EF8B81B9D5F

treatment provided by

Donat

scientific name

Pheidole polymorpha
status

new species

Pheidole polymorpha   HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology Gr polymorpha   HNS , many forms, referring to the coexistence of major and supermajor castes.

diagnosis a member of the " pilifera   HNS complex" of the larger pilifera   HNS group, comprising calens   HNS , californica   HNS , carrolli   HNS , cavifrons   HNS , clementensis   HNS , creightoni   HNS , hoplitica   HNS , littoralis   HNS , micula   HNS , pilifera   HNS , polymorpha   HNS , rugulosa   HNS , senex   HNS , soritis   HNS , tepicana   HNS , and torosa   HNS , which complex is distinguished by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes transversely 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. polymorpha   HNS is distinguished within the complex by the following combination of traits. Worker caste trimorphic, with major, supermajor, and minor.

Major: humerus very pronounced and subtriangular in shape in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines stout and vertical to the basal propodeal face; postpetiole from above with sharp right-angular margins; pilosity, long and dense.

Minor: all of mesosoma and almost all of the dorsal head surface foveolate and opaque. Both major and minor: dorsal margin of petiole seen from behind strongly convex.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.46, SL 0.62, EL 0.20, PW 0.60.

Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.60, SL 0.56, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

color Major and minor: brownish yellow.

Range Known only from the type locality and from Chapulco, Puebla, Mexico.

Biology Collected in upland desert. Comment by Stefan Cover (personal communication): "A very interesting beast; it is like P. artemisia   HNS or P. cavigenis   HNS on steroids."

Figure Upper: holotype, major; partial head in full-face view of paratype, supermajor. Lower: paratype, minor. MEXICO: Highway 57, km 127, Estado Mexico (Cornell University Field Party, 1965). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

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