Pheidole drogon

Pheidole drogon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. drogon
Binomial name
Pheidole drogon Sarnat, Fischer & Economo, 2016

The species is only known from the type locality where it was collected in montane rainforest on low vegetation and also recruiting to a tuna bait. (Sarnat et al. 2016)

Identification

Sarnat et al. (2016) - The major workers of Pheidole drogon are distinguished from those of all other cervicornis-group species by the posterolateral lobe and gastral tergite, both of which are glossy and free of sculpture or shagreening. The minor workers are difficult to distinguish from those of Pheidole barumtaun, see that species for differentiating characteristics.

Keys including this Species

• Keys to the Pheidole cervicornis group workers

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

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.

Castes

Worker

Minor

Images from AntWeb

Not Provided. Worker. Specimen code casent0753009. Photographer Masako Ogasawara, uploaded by Curator Eli Sarnat.

  X-ray micro-CT scan 3D model of Pheidole drogon (minor worker) prepared by the Economo lab at OIST.

See on Sketchfab. See list of 3D images.

Nomenclature

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

• drogon. Pheidole drogon Sarnat, Fischer & Economo, 2016: 17, figs. 1c, 2b, 3-5, 13 (w.s.) PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

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

Description

Worker

Major HW 2.16–2.19, HL 2.08–2.14, SL 1.07–1.08, FL 1.61–1.66, EL 0.18–0.19, ML 1.68, PSL1 0.63–0.70, PSL2 0.61, PeL 0.61–0.64, PeW 0.16–0.17, PpW 0.56–0.58, CI 103–104, SI 49 (n = 2). Color uniformly reddish brown, coxae and legs a weakly contrasting yellowish brown. Head square; posterior margin describing a broad and shallow ‘V’. Head moderately convex in lateral view without any impression of the vertex. Posterolateral lobes separated by a moderate median impression. Antennal scrobe absent. Antennal scapes long with erect hairs; moderately curved basally to conform to convexity of head. Frontal carina indistinct; blending with parallel carinulae an undistinguished by strength or length. Anterior medial clypeal margin weakly emarginated. Mandible bidentate apically; striations restricted to basal portion. Hypostomal bridge with broad, distinct median tooth; submedian teeth of subequal length to median tooth. Clypeus mostly smooth and shining, median carina weak to absent. All surfaces of head covered by fine, parallel, non-intersecting carinulae. Carinulae irregularly longitudinal from anterior clypeal border to frons, diverging weakly towards posterolateral corners and terminating before reaching posterior margin. Posterolateral lobes with smooth and shining corners; lateral and ventral portion of lobes smooth and shining. Mesosoma armed with long strongly produced pronotal spines and propodeal spines; mesonotum armed with broad and flattened lamellate lobes. Pronotal spines of subequal length as propodeal spines; directed anterolaterally and becoming downcurved apically. Propodeal spines relatively straight, directed posterolaterally, becoming weakly downcurved apically. Pronotal dorsum smooth to weakly transversely striate; mesosoma otherwise mostly smooth and shining. Petiole relatively long, approximately equal in length to propodeal spine. Petiolar node cuneiform with weakly emarginate vertex. Postpetiole approximately equal in height to petiole; in dorsal view mostly smooth and shining with several transverse striations on posterior portion and moderate lateral projections. Entire gaster smooth and shining.

Minor HW 0.67–0.73, HL 0.75–0.81, SL 0.94–1.00, FL 1.07–1.16, EL 0.12–0.14, ML 1.06–1.15, PSL1 0.45–0.52, PSL2 0.43–0.49, PSL3 0.36–0.42, PeL 0.35–0.39, PeW 0.07–0.08, PpW 0.15–0.17, CI 89–91, SI 135–141 (n = 8). Strongly shining reddish brown, coxae and legs a weakly contrasting yellowish brown. Head elongate ovoid, tapering weakly behind the eyes to a narrow posterior margin. Nuchal carinae thin but distinct and forming collar around posterodorsal head margin. Antennal scapes with erect hairs, distinctly surpassing posterior head margin. Head completely smooth except for a few arcuate carinulae between the eyes and mandible. Mesosoma with extremely long spines on the pronotum and propodeum, and shorter spines on the mesonotum. Pronotal spines emarginate; approximately same length as tibiae; directed anterolaterally and becoming downcurved apically. Mesonotal spines approximately eye-length; directed posterolaterally and straight. Propodeal spines fused basally into thick upright trunk before diverging; strongly bifurcate, directed posterolaterally and becoming downcurved apically. Petiole very elongate. Petiolar node conical.

Type Material

• Holotype, major worker, Morobe, 11km E Baiyer River Sanctuary, 1900 m, Papua New Guinea, 5.5000°S 144.2667°E / -5.5000; 144.2667, 24 June 1980, P. S. Ward, PSW4575-7, CASENT0716380, National Museum of Natural History; montane rainforest, at tuna bait.
• Paratype, 1 minor worker, Morobe, 11km E Baiyer River Sanctuary, 1900 m, Papua New Guinea, 5.5000°S 144.2667°E / -5.5000; 144.2667, 24 June 1980, P. S. Ward, CASENT0753009, National Museum of Natural History; montane rainforest, at tuna bait.
• Paratype, 2 minor workers, 1 major worker, Morobe, 11km E Baiyer River Sanctuary, 1900 m, Papua New Guinea, 5.5000°S 144.2667°E / -5.5000; 144.2667, 24 June 1980, P. S. Ward, CASENT0716381, National Museum of Natural History; montane rainforest, at tuna bait.

Etymology

The species name refers to Drogon, the black-colored dragon of Daenerys Targaryen, a fictional character from the George R. R. Martin’s novel A Song of Ice and Fire. The name is a noun in apposition and thus invariable.

References

• Sarnat E. M., Fischer, G. and E.P. Economo. 2016. Inordinate spinescence: taxonomic revision and microtomography of the Pheidole cervicornis species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). PLoS ONE. 11:e0156709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156709

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Sarnat E. M., G. Fischer, and E. P. Economo. 2016. Inordinate spinescence: taxonomic revision and microtomography of the Pheidole cervicornis species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). PLoS ONE 11(7): e0156709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156709