Pheidole alexeter

Pheidole alexeter
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. alexeter
Binomial name
	Pheidole alexeter; Wilson, 2003

Collected in a savanna. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Key to Pheidole tristis group

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -7.449999° to -7.449999°.


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.

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

Nomenclature

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

alexeter. Pheidole alexeter Wilson, 2003: 648, figs. (s.w.) BRAZIL.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

DIAGNOSIS A very distinct member of the tristis group distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: head short-rectangular; humerus very prominently lobose in dorsal-oblique view; mesonotal convexity prominent and symmetrical in side view; propodeal spines equilaterally triangular and directed perpendicular to basal propodeal face; postpetiole spinose from above; faint, shallow antennal scrobes present; posterior two-thirds of the dorsal surface of the head mostly covered by loose rugoreticulum; pronotal dorsum transversely carinulate and humeri bearing weak patches of rugoreticula.

Minor: occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar; propodeal spines reduced to dentic1es; humeri with loose rugoreticula; most of body smooth and shiny.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.44, HL 1.54, SL 0.72, EL 0.16, PW 0.72. Paratype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.62, SL 0.66, EL 0.10, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: body, mandibles, and antennae rich medium reddish brown, legs dark yellow.

Minor: concolorous dark yellow.

Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

BRAZIL: Vigia, near Belem, Para, col. William L. Brown. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Gr alexeter, guard, defender.

References

Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 648, fig. major, minor described)
Albuquerque, E., Prado, L., Andrade-Silva, J., Siqueira, E., Sampaio, K., Alves, D., Brandão, C., Andrade, P., Feitosa, R., Koch, E., Delabie, J., Fernandes, I., Baccaro, F., Souza, J., Almeida, R., Silva, R. 2021. Ants of the State of Pará, Brazil: a historical and comprehensive dataset of a key biodiversity hotspot in the Amazon Basin. Zootaxa 5001, 1–83 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5001.1.1).
Franco, W., Ladino, N., Delabie, J.H.C., Dejean, A., Orivel, J., Fichaux, M., Groc, S., Leponce, M., Feitosa, R.M. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674, 509–543 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.2).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Fichaux M., B. Bechade, J. Donald, A. Weyna, J. H. C. Delabie, J. Murienne, C. Baraloto, and J. Orivel. 2019. Habitats shape taxonomic and functional composition of Neotropical ant assemblages. Oecologia 189(2): 501-513.
Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.