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Pheidole punctithorax
| Pheidole punctithorax | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. punctithorax |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole punctithorax Borgmeier, 1929
| |
Nothing is known about the biology of punctithorax.
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Only known from the type locality.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -22.505° to -22.9°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).
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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- punctithorax. Pheidole punctithorax Borgmeier, 1929: 210, pl. 7, fig. 5 (s.w.) BRAZIL. See also: Wilson, 2003: 342.
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 “jujuyensis complex” of the larger fallax group, comprising Pheidole araneoides, Pheidole cuevasi, Pheidole durionei, Pheidole jujuyensis, Pheidole kugleri, Pheidole leonina, Pheidole leptina, Pheidole lucretii, Pheidole lupus, Pheidole paraensis, Pheidole punctithorax, Pheidole tijucana, Pheidole wallacei and Pheidole wolfringi, which complex is characterized by slender body form and exceptionally long scapes and petiolar pedicel; also in the major by a proportionately small head; and in the minor by a strongly developed nuchal collar. P. punctithorax is distinguished as follows.
Major: pilosity sparse; occiput narrowed so that its width in full face is much less than that of the clypeus; a loose, large-celled rugoreticulum is limited to the space mesad to the eyes and forward of it; the humerus and petiolar node are subangulate; all of the occiput, mesosoma, and waist are foveolate and opaque; anterior third of first gastral tergite is shagreened and opaque.
Minor: all of mesosoma and waist, as well as a strip running from the eye to the occiput, foveolate and opaque; neck only moderately narrowed.
Major and minor: reddish brown.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.32, SL (antennae missing), EL 0.22, PW 0.64. Paratype minor not measured.
COLOR Major: concolorous medium reddish brown.
Minor: gaster light reddish brown, rest of body and appendages medium reddish brown.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major (antennae missing from specimen). Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
BRAZIL: Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
L punctithorax, punctate chest, evidently referring to the wholly foveolate mesosomas of both castes. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Borgmeier, T. 1929. Zur Kenntnis der brasilianischen Ameisen. EOS. Rev. Esp. Entomol. 5: 195-214. (page 210, pl. 7, fig. 5 soldier, worker described)
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 342, 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).
- Nascimento Santos M., J. H. C. Delabie, and J. M. Queiroz. 2019. Biodiversity conservation in urban parks: a study of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio de Janeiro City. Urban Ecosystems https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-019-00872-8