Pheidole laevifrons

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Pheidole laevifrons
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. laevifrons
Binomial name
Pheidole laevifrons
Mayr, 1887

Pheidole laevifrons casent0919782 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole laevifrons casent0919782 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of laevifrons.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -22.6556° to -27.22555556°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

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

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole laevifrons casent0919783 p 1 high.jpgPheidole laevifrons casent0919783 d 1 high.jpgPheidole laevifrons casent0919783 h 1 high.jpgPheidole laevifrons casent0919783 l 1 high.jpg
Paralectotype of Pheidole laevifronsWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0919783. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMW, Vienna, Austria.

Nomenclature

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

  • laevifrons. Pheidole laevifrons Mayr, 1887: 598 (s.) BRAZIL. See also: Wilson, 2003: 199.

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 small, yellow member of the diligens group, distinguished as follows.

Major: cephalic sculpturing limited to the anterior third of the head, level with and anterior to the eyes; moderately abundant pilosity; relatively short propodeal spines. Close to Pheidole peregrina, but major with much shallower occipital cleft in frontal view, thinner petiolar peduncle and node in side view, and more mesad placement of cephalic rugoreticulum.

Minor: thicker propodeal spines and longer scapes. Also similar to Pheidole triconstricta but with much denser pilosity, shallower occipital cleft, and bilobous as opposed to trilobous promesonotal profile in dorsal-oblique view.

See also the less similar Pheidole coffeicola, Pheidole pubiventris, Pheidole seeldrayersi and [[Pheidole variegata.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.06, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.54. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous yellow.


Pheidole laevifrons Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

BRAZIL: Santa Catarina. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L laevifrons, smooth or polished front, presumably alluding to the mostly smooth, shiny dorsum of the head of both castes. (Wilson 2003)

References

  • Smith, F. 1873. [Untitled. Introduced by: "Mr. F. Smith exhibited a further collection of ants sent by Mr. G. A. James Rothney, from Calcutta."]. Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 1873:viii-ix. (page ix, nomen nudum attributed to Mayr.)
  • Mayr, G. 1887. Südamerikanische Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 37: 511-632 (page 598, soldier described)
  • Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 199, fig. major, minor described)

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).
  • Lutinski J. A., B. C. Lopes, and A. B. B.de Morais. 2013. Diversidade de formigas urbanas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de dez cidades do sul do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 13(3): 332-342.
  • Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.