Pheidole geraesensis

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole geraesensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. geraesensis
Binomial name
Pheidole geraesensis
Santschi, 1929

Pheidole geraesensis casent0913441 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole geraesensis casent0913441 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of geraesensis.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Pheidole geraesensis casent0913442 h 1 high.jpgPheidole geraesensis casent0913442 p 1 high.jpgPheidole geraesensis casent0913442 d 1 high.jpgPheidole geraesensis casent0913442 l 1 high.jpg
Paralectotype of Pheidole geraesensisWorker. Specimen code casent0913442. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • geraesensis. Pheidole semilaevis var. geraesensis Santschi, 1929d: 287 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 193.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

From Wilson (2003): A member of the diligens group similar to Pheidole bruesi, Pheidole stigma and Pheidole triconstricta (see also less similar species listed under these names, if in doubt).

Major: head bicolorous (see color below); dorsum of head posterior to eye level smooth and shiny; a very small patch of rugoreticulum present posterior to each antennal fossa; pronotal dorsum with broken transverse rugulae, a thin anterior fringe of first gastral tergite shagreened; head posterior to eye and all of mesosoma devoid of pilosity; pronotum in dorsal-oblique view a single semicircular convexity; lateral margins of petiole subangulate.

Minor: pronotum in dorsal-oblique view bilobous; most of head and all of mesosoma and waist devoid of pilosity; dorsal margin of first gastral tergite lined exclusively with short, appressed hairs.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.18, HL 1.72, SL 0.78, EL 0.20, PW 0.60. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.64, SL 0.72, EL 0.12, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: head bicolorous, with posterior three-fourths reddish brown and anterior fourth plus mandibles reddish yellow; body plain light brown; appendages dark yellow.


Pheidole geraesensis Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Lectotype Specimen Labels

Type Material

BRAZIL: Minas Gerais. Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

Named after the type locality. (Wilson 2003)

References

  • Santschi, F. 1929d. Nouvelles fourmis de la République Argentine et du Brésil. An. Soc. Cient. Argent. 107: 273-316 (page 287, soldier, worker described)
  • Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 193, fig. major, minor described; raised to species)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Santschi F. 1929. Nouvelles fourmis de la République Argentine et du Brésil. Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina. 107: 273-316.