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Pheidole adrianoi
| Pheidole adrianoi | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. adrianoi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole adrianoi Naves, 1985
| |
Marcio Naves (1985) found P. adrianoi common within its range, nesting in sandy soil in clear areas within forests—a habitat also preferred by P. metallescens, which resembles it in the field to the naked eye. According to Stefan Cover (personal communication), adrianoi is typically associated with white-sand gaps in pine-oak forest. The nest entrance, surrounded by a crater of excavated soil, leads through a vertical tunnel 1–2 mm in diameter to a main chamber 30 to 40 cm beneath the surface. Mature colonies contain about 60 majors and more than 300 minors. Both castes engage in strictly diurnal foraging, and the majors participate in the retrieval of food. The main diet is seeds, although the workers also scavenge for small dead arthropods. The main flights of the winged sexual forms occur in July and August. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Central and northern Florida, west to Okaloosa Co. in the Florida panhandle. (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 32.865278° to 26.03°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States (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
This species is known to remove seeds (Atchison & Lucky, 2022).
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0104274. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
  
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0104273. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
    
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0104271. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- adrianoi. Pheidole adrianoi Naves, 1985: 56, figs. 25, 26, 33, 53, 54 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 555.
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 A small brown member of the pilifera group distinguished by the following combination of traits.
Major: diminished, nearly invisible mesonotal convexity; metanotal groove absent. Metanotal profile forming a continuous line with that of the propodeal basal face; propodeal spines long, thick, blunt-tipped; mesopleuron and sides of pronotum and propodeum completely covered by longitudinal carinulae, but promesonotal dorsum smooth and shiny; postpetiolar node diamond-shaped viewed from above.
Minor: profile of promesonotal dorsum smoothly convex; propodeal spines short and stout; mesopleuron and side of propodeum foveolate and opaque but lacking carinulae. Close to Pheidole davisi but differing in the above and other characters.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 0.86, HL 0.92, SL 0.46, EL 0.14, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.38, HL 0.42, SL 0.38, EL 0.10, PW 0.24.
COLOR Major: body mostly plain medium brown, gaster dark brown, appendages yellowish brown.
Minor: body medium to dark brown, appendages medium brown.
Figure. Upper: paratype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
FLORIDA: Gainesville, Alachua Co., Florida, col. Marcio A. Naves. (Wilson 2003) Museum of Comparative Zoology and Florida State Collection of Arthropods - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Atchison, R. A., Lucky, A. 2022. Diversity and resilience of seed-removing ant species in Longleaf Sandhill to frequent fire. Diversity 14, 1012 (doi:10.3390/d14121012).
- Ipser, R.M., Brinkman, M.A., Gardner, W.A., Peeler, H.B. 2004. A survey of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Georgia. Florida Entomologist 87: 253-260.
- MacGown, J.A., Booher, D., Richter, H., Wetterer, J.K., Hill, J.G. 2021. An updated list of ants of Alabama (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with new state records. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 147: 961-981 (doi:10.3157/061.147.0409).
- Naves, M. A. 1985. A monograph of the genus Pheidole in Florida, USA (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insecta Mundi 1: 53-90 (page 56, figs. 25, 26, 33, 53, 54 soldier, worker, queen described)
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 555, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Annotated Ant Species List Ordway-Swisher Biological Station. Downloaded at http://ordway-swisher.ufl.edu/species/os-hymenoptera.htm on 5th Oct 2010.
- Braman C. A., and B. T. Forschler. 2018. Survey of Formicidae attracted to protein baits on Georgia’s Barrier Island dunes. Southeastern Naturalist 17(4): 645-653.
- Deyrup M., C. Johnson, G. C. Wheeler, J. Wheeler. 1989. A preliminary list of the ants of Florida. Florida Entomologist 72: 91-101
- Deyrup M., L. Deyrup, and J. Carrel. 2013. Ant Species in the Diet of a Florida Population of Eastern Narrow-Mouthed Toads, Gastrophryne carolinensis. Southeastern Naturalist 12(2): 367-378.
- Deyrup, M. and J. Trager. 1986. Ants of the Archbold Biological Station, Highlands County, Florida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 69(1):206-228
- Forster J.A. 2005. The Ants (hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama. Master of Science, Auburn University. 242 pages.
- Ipser R. M. 2004. Native and exotic ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Georgia: Ecological Relationships with implications for development of biologically-based management strategies. Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of Georgia. 165 pages.
- Johnson C. 1986. A north Florida ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insecta Mundi 1: 243-246
- MacGown J. A., J. G. Hill, and M. Deyrup. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Little Ohoopee River Dunes, Emanuel County, Georgia. J. Entomol. Sci. 44(3): 193-197.
- MacGown, J.A and J.A. Forster. 2005. A preliminary list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Alabama, U.S.A. Entomological News 116(2):61-74
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press