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Pheidole davisi
| Pheidole davisi | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. davisi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole davisi Wheeler, W.M., 1905
| |
From Wilson (2003): In the eastern United States, davisi is typically an inhabitant of pine barrens, where it has been found in crater nests constructed in open sandy areas exposed to the sun. Its habitat in Mexico is unknown. Colonies have been observed to harvest seeds (Stefan Cover).
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
In the United States, davisi has been recorded from New York to North Carolina and northern Alabama. I have also identified a series collected by Stuart and Jarmila Kukalová-Peck from the Mesa de Chipinque Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in northeastern Mexico. The species thus appears to have a disjunct distribution between the southeastern U.S. and northeastern Mexico, of the kind known in many other animal and plant species. (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 40.8825° to 32.45°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.
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
Life History Traits
- Queen number: monogynous (Frumhoff & Ward, 1992)
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0103407. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0103387. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
  
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0104757. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0103143. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0103386. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- davisi. Pheidole davisi Wheeler, W.M. 1905f: 380 (s.w.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 574.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description. 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 traits.
Major: mesonotal convexity small, obtuse-subangular; metanotal groove absent, with metanotal profile forming a continuous line with that of the basal propodeal face; mesonotal dorsum, mesopleuron, and side of propodeum covered with longitudinal carinulae, foveolate, and opaque; pronotal dorsum transversely and pronotal sides longitudinally carinulate, foveolate, and opaque.
Minor: mesopleuron and side of propodeum longitudinally carinulate; all of mesosoma foveolate and opaque.
Close to Pheidole adrianoi of Florida but differing in the above and other characters.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 0.98, HL 0.96, SL 0.44, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.46, SL 0.42, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.
COLOR Major: body light reddish to yellowish brown.
Minor: body concolorous dark reddish brown; antennae yellowish brown.
Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
NEW JERSEY: Lakehurst. Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 574, fig. major, minor described)
- Alatorre-Bracamontes, C.E., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2010. Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17(1): 9-36.
- Davis, T. 2009. The ants of South Carolina (thesis, Clemson University).
- 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).
- Wheeler, W. M. 1905j. An annotated list of the ants of New Jersey. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 21: 371-403 (page 380, soldier, worker described)
- Yung, O., MacGown, J.A. 2024. New records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mississippi. Transactions American Entomological Society 150: 239-242.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
- Frye J. A., T. Frye, and T. W. Suman. 2014. The ant fauna of inland sand dune communities in Worcester County, Maryland. Northeastern Naturalist, 21(3): 446-471.
- Graham, J.H., A.J. Krzysik, D.A. Kovacic, J.J. Duda, D.C. Freeman, J.M. Emlen, J.C. Zak, W.R. Long, M.P. Wallace, C. Chamberlin-Graham, J.P. Nutter and H.E. Balbach. 2008. Ant Community Composition across a Gradient of Disturbed Military Landscapes at Fort Benning, Georgia. Southeastern Naturalist 7(3):429-448
- Ivanov K., L. Hightower, S. T. Dash, and J. B. Keiper. 2019. 150 years in the making: first comprehensive list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Virginia, USA. Zootaxa 4554 (2): 532–560.
- Lynch J. F. 1988. An annotated checklist and key to the species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Chesapeake Bay region. The Maryland Naturalist 31: 61-106
- 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.
- Van Pelt A., and J. B. Gentry. 1985. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Savannah River Plant, South Carolina. Dept. Energy, Savannah River Ecology Lab., Aiken, SC., Report SRO-NERP-14, 56 p.
- Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press