Pheidole polymorpha, Wilson, E. O., 2003
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.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
Kingdom |
|
Phylum |
|
Class |
|
Order |
|
Family |
|
Genus |