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Pheidole diabolus
| Pheidole diabolus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. diabolus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole diabolus Wilson, 2003
| |
The type colony, found on a forested mountain ridge, was nesting in a 4-cm-wide, rotten tree branch on the ground. A cache of seeds was present, as well as a male (1-4 June). (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Known from Costa Rica and Columbia.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 10.847° to 2.705257°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia (type locality), Costa Rica.
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
| Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
| Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
  
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0635458. Photographer J. Longino, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by JTLC. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- diabolus. Pheidole diabolus Wilson, 2003: 681, figs. (s.w.) COLOMBIA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various respects to Pheidole binasifera, Pheidole gravida, Pheidole mirabilis, Pheidole moseni, Pheidole nasifera, Pheidole mosenopsis, Pheidole rhinoceros and Pheidole unicornis, but strongly distinguished as follows.
Major: a sharp, upcurved horn grows from the center of the clypeus; humeri are very prominent, seen from above extending beyond the rest of the pronotum below, and in dorsal-oblique view forming a large equilateral triangle; propodeal spines more than half as long as the propodeal basal face; carinulae and rugulae on the frontal lobes give way posteriorly to a tight rugoreticulum, which then yields to a loose rugoreticulum, and next to foveolae, which finally are replaced by a smooth zone on the occiput.
Minor: all of head and meso soma and most of waist foveolate; humeri angulate; propodeal spines half as long as the propodeal basal face and curved backwards.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.18, HL 1.36, SL 0.54, EL 0.20, PW 0.64. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.54, SL 0.58, EL 0.l2, PW 0.52.
COLOR Major: body and mandibles medium reddish brown; other appendages yellow.
Minor: concolorous brownish yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
COLOMBIA: Finca Los Guaduales, 10 km southwest of San Jose del Palmar, Rio Torito, Choco, col. Charles Kugler. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L diabolus, devil, evil spirit.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 681, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
- Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
- Smith M. A., W. Hallwachs, D. H. Janzen. 2014. Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient. Ecography 37(8): 720-731.