Pheidole tapanti

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole tapanti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. tapanti
Binomial name
Pheidole tapanti
Longino, 2019

Pheidole tapanti CASENT0637804 p.jpg

Pheidole tapanti CASENT0637804 d.jpg

Paratype Labels

This species is known from one cloud forest site, where a nest was found beneath epiphytes in a recent treefall.

Identification

Minor: face faintly but uniformly foveolate; promesonotal dorsum faintly foveolate; lateral pronotum smooth and shiny; katepisternum foveolate; promesonotal groove absent; propodeal spines one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; abundant erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gaster; color orange.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth small, about half way between midline and outer hypostomal teeth; scape base terete; face without scrobes; medial and anterior portions of face with very faint foveolation overlain with parallel, longitudinal carinulae; vertex lobes smooth and shining; propodeal spines one fourth length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; sides of head with abundant erect setae; abundant flexuous erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gaster.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.52, HL 0.56, SL 0.46, EL 0.13, WL 0.64, PSL 0.05, PTW 0.10, PPW 0.16, CI 93, SI 90, PSLI 9, PPI 151 (n=1).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.01, HL 1.02, SL 0.51, EL 0.16, WL 0.86, PSL 0.06, PTW 0.17, PPW 0.25, CI 98, SI 51, PSLI 6, PPI 152 (n=1).

This species is similar to Pheidole boltoni, another montane species in the northern cordilleras of Costa Rica. It differs from P. boltoni in orange color, somewhat smaller size (minor worker mean HW 52 vs 58), more convex promesonotum of minor worker in lateral view, and major worker with face sculpture more extensively smooth and shiny posteriorly.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 9.75023° to 9.75023°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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 tapanti CASENT0637803 h.jpgPheidole tapanti CASENT0637803 p.jpgPheidole tapanti CASENT0637803 d.jpgPheidole tapanti CASENT0637803 l.jpg
ParatypeWorker (minor). Specimen code CASENT0637803. Photographer Skylar Oswald.

Nomenclature

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

  • tapanti. Pheidole tapanti Longino, 2019: 60, fig. 26 (w.) COSTA RICA.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Costa Rica, Cartago: PN Tapantí, 9.75023 -83.78201 ±20 m, 1290 m, 8-Jun-2015, 2nd growth cloud forest, nest under epiphyte mat (J. Longino, JTL9224) [MUCR, unique specimen identifier CASENT0637804].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, MUCR, USNM].

Description

Etymology

From the type locality.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126