Pheidole tenerescens
Pheidole tenerescens | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. tenerescens |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole tenerescens Wheeler, W.M., 1922 |
This species is only known from the type specimen, collected by sweeping vegetation. (Wilson 2003)
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: Trinidad and Tobago (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. |
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. |
Biology
Castes
Only known from the holotype major.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- tenerescens. Pheidole tenerescens Wheeler, W.M. 1922c: 7 (s.) TRINIDAD. See also: Wilson, 2003: 520.
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): DIAGNOSIS As represented by the major, a small, yellow member of the flavens group with prominent, rounded humerus that rises well above the mesonotum in dorsal-oblique view; a nearly perfectly semicircular outline of promesonotum in side view; a deep, circular metanotal groove with vertical anterior propodeal face in dorsal-oblique view; short pilosity; and mostly smooth, shiny body. Similar to nitidicollis, but lacking a mesonotal convexity in side view, with shorter cephalic carinulae, smaller propodeal spiracle and spine, and yellow as opposed to medium brown gaster.
See also the less similar Pheidole arhuaca, Pheidole flavifrons, Pheidole minutula, and other species listed as close to arhuaca (q.v.).
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.74, HL 0.80, SL 0.34, EL 0.10, PW 0.40.
COLOR Major: concolorous yellow.
Figure. Unique holotype, major. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
TRINIDAD: Port of Spain, col. Roland Thaxter. Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
Presumably from L tener, soft, alluding to the relatively feeble sculpture. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922e. The ants of Trinidad. American Museum Novitates 45: 1-16 (page 7, soldier described)
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 520, fig. major described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. The ants of Trinidad. American Museum Novitates 45: 1-16.
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press