Pheidole cahui

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

Pheidole cahui CASENT0611056 p.jpg

Pheidole cahui CASENT0611056 d.jpg

Holotype Labels

This species is known from one site, a reserve with somewhat seasonal moist forest. Minor and major workers recruit to ground baits. A nest was discovered by following workers from a nocturnal ground bait. The entrance was a simple hole in the soil beneath a leaf. An alate queen was collected in a beating sample.

Identification

Longino (2019) - Minor: face smooth and shining; head rounded posteriorly to medially flattened posterior margin; occipital carina thin; promesonotal groove absent, promesonotum evenly convex; lateral pronotum smooth and shiny; katepisternum faintly foveolate with traces of superimposed rugulae; dorsal mesonotum and dorsal face of propodeum with a few transverse carinulae; propodeal spines absent; gaster smooth and shining; abundant flexuous erect setae on mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum; color orange.

Major: inner hypostomal teeth stout, closely spaced; scape base subterete, narrower than apical portion; head subrectangular; antennal scrobe present, short, well-delimited and forming distinct dorsal concavity beneath frontal carina, scrobe surface smooth and shining; entire face (excluding scrobes) with irregular but largely longitudinal carinulae, interspaces smooth to faintly microsculptured; propodeal spines triangular, about one fifth length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth; abundant, erect, flexuous setae on face, sides of head, mesosomal dorsum, tibiae, and gastral dorsum.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.51, HL 0.57, SL 0.53, EL 0.12, WL 0.70, PSL 0.00, PTW 0.10, PPW 0.12, CI 90, SI 105, PSLI 0, PPI 130 (n=2).

Measurements, major worker: HW 1.30, HL 1.60, SL 0.59, EL 0.20, WL 1.25, PSL 0.07, PTW 0.27, PPW 0.47, CI 81, SI 45, PSLI 5, PPI 176 (n=2).

Measurements, queen: HW 1.23, HL 1.31, SL 0.63, EL 0.31, WL 1.79, PSL 0.08, PTW 0.41, PPW 0.71, CI 94, SI 51, PSLI 6, PPI 174 (n=1).

The minor worker of this species is similar to Pheidole hasticeps. The major is very different, with antennal scrobes and heavily sculptured face.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 16.99944° to 16.99944°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Guatemala (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 cahui CASENT0611059 h.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0611059 p.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0611059 d.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0611059 l.jpg
ParatypeWorker (Minor). Specimen code CASENT0611059. Photographer M. Pierce, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole cahui CASENT0613042 h.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0613042 p.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0613042 d.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0613042 pw.jpgPheidole cahui CASENT0613042 l.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code CASENT0613042. Photographer J. Longino, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by JTLC.

Nomenclature

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

  • cahui. Pheidole cahui Longino, 2019: 28, fig. 26 (w.q.) GUATEMALA.

Type Material

  • HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Guatemala, Petén: Cerro Cahuí, 16.99944 -89.70443 ±24 m, 130 m, 24-May-2009, moist forest, nest in soil (J. Longino, JTL6696) [MCZC, unique specimen identifier CASENT0611056].
  • PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, USNM, UVGC].

Description

see the identification section above

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