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Pheidole caltrop
| Pheidole caltrop | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. caltrop |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole caltrop Wilson, 2003
| |
“From large thorns hollowed out on living tree” (A. E. Emerson, collection note 13 April 1935). (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Known from Costa Rica and Panama.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 10.35° to 10.33333°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama (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
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
    
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0619559. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by JTLC. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0619558. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, 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.
- caltrop. Pheidole caltrop Wilson, 2003: 270, figs. (s.w.) PANAMA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
A unique member of the fallax group characterized as follows.
Major: yellow; occiput, genae, and promesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; large “sharkfin” protrusion on humerus extends beyond the boundaries of the rest of the pronotum when viewed from above; dorsum of postpetiolar node carinulate.
Minor: large “sharkfin” angle protrudes from humerus; all of body except gaster foveolate and opaque; very thin nuchal collar present.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.22, HL 1.18, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.62. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.66, SL 0.66, EL 0.10, PW 0.42.
COLOR Major: concolorous dark yellow.
Minor: concolorous medium yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
PANAMA: Barro Colorado Island, col. Alfred E. Emerson. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
ML caltrop, a four-pointed weapon placed on the ground to impede movement.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 270, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Adams B. J., S. A. Schnitzer, and S. P. Yanoviak. 2016. Trees as islands: canopy ant species richness increases with the size of liana-free trees in a Neotropical forest. Ecography doi: 10.1111/ecog.02608
- Adams B. J., S. A. Schnitzer, and S. P. Yanoviak. 2019. Connectivity explains local ant community structure in a Neotropical forest canopy: a large-scale experimental approach. Ecology 100(6): e02673.