Pheidole cordiceps

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole cordiceps
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. cordiceps
Binomial name
Pheidole cordiceps
Mayr, 1868

Pheidole cordiceps casent0281740 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidole cordiceps casent0281740 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

Nothing is known about the biology of cordiceps.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Argentina: widespread in the country, including Buenos Aires, Chabut, Córdoba, Mendoza, and Salta (Kempf 1972b).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -3.3667° to -37.12°.

     
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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 cordiceps casent0281739 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0281739 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0281739 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0281739 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0281739. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Pheidole cordiceps casent0904387 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904387 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904387 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904387 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidole cordiceps lilianaeWorker. Specimen code casent0904387. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Pheidole cordiceps casent0908129 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908129 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908129 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908129 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidole cordiceps lilianaeWorker. Specimen code casent0908129. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Major

Images from AntWeb

Pheidole cordiceps casent0904386 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904386 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904386 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0904386 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidole cordiceps lilianaeWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0904386. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Pheidole cordiceps casent0908128 h 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908128 p 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908128 d 1 high.jpgPheidole cordiceps casent0908128 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidole cordiceps lilianaeWorker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0908128. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

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

  • cordiceps. Pheidole cordiceps Mayr, 1868b: 174 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Emery, 1906c: 149 (q.). Senior synonym of lilianae: Wilson, 2003: 279.
  • lilianae. Pheidole cordiceps var. lilianae Forel, 1912f: 232 (s.w.q.m.) ARGENTINA. Subspecies of cordiceps: Kusnezov, 1952b: 66 (in key). Junior synonym of cordiceps: Wilson, 2003: 279.

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): A medium-sized, yellow member of the fallax group, distinguished as follows:

Major: head heart-shaped; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; postpetiolar node seen from above roughly trapezoidal; mesonotal convexity prominent, and in dorsal-oblique view seeming to “lean” posteriorly; carinulae on frontal lobes restricted to lateral halves, and rest of cephalic sculpturing confined to the level of the eyes and capsule anterior to them.

Minor: occiput very broad, lacking nuchal collar; humerus angulate; sculpturing on head limited to anterior fourth of dorsal surface.

Most similar to and possibly synonymous with Pheidole dione.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.44, HL 1.46, SL not measured, EL 0.22, PW 0.72. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.70, HL 0.74, SL 0.86, EL 0.16, PW 0.42.

COLOR Major: medium yellow, gaster a slightly contrasting yellowish brown.

Minor: head and mesosoma reddish yellow, waist and gaster medium brown.


Pheidole cordiceps Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: lectotype, major (antennal scape drawn from an undamaged paralectotype major). Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, col. P. de Strobel. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L cordiceps, heart-shaped head. (Wilson 2003)

References

  • Emery, C. 1906c [1905]. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 37: 107-194 (page 149, queen described)
  • Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344.
  • Mayr, G. 1868b. Formicidae novae Americanae collectae a Prof. P. de Strobel. Annu. Soc. Nat. Mat. Modena 3: 161-178 (page 174, soldier, worker described)
  • Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 279, Senior synonym of lilianae, fig. major, minor described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bruch C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Revista del Museo de La Plata 19: 211-234.
  • Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
  • Emery C. 1906. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 37: 107-194.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Kusnezov N. 1952. El género Pheidole en la Argentina (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 12: 5-88.
  • Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.
  • Pignalberi C. T. 1961. Contribución al conocimiento de los formícidos de la provincia de Santa Fé. Pp. 165-173 in: Comisión Investigación Científica; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina) 1961. Actas y trabajos del primer Congreso Sudamericano de Zoología (La Plata, 12-24 octubre 1959). Tomo III. Buenos Aires: Librart, 276 pp.
  • Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
  • Vittar, F., and F. Cuezzo. "Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina." Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina (versión On-line ISSN 1851-7471) 67, no. 1-2 (2008).
  • Zolessi L. C. de, Y. P. Abenante, and M. E. de Philippi. 1988. Lista sistematica de las especies de Formicidos del Uruguay. Comun. Zool. Mus. Hist. Nat. Montev. 11: 1-9.
  • Zolessi L. C. de; Y. P. de Abenante, and M. E. Philippi. 1989. Catálogo sistemático de las especies de Formícidos del Uruguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Montevideo: ORCYT Unesco, 40 + ix pp.
  • de Zolessi, L.C., Y.P. de Abenante and M.E. Philippi. 1987. Lista sistemática de las especies de formícidos del Uruguay. Comunicaciones Zoologicas del Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo 11(165):1-9