Pheidole fabricator

Pheidole fabricator
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. fabricator
Binomial name
Pheidole fabricator (Smith, F., 1858) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Atta nigriventris Smith, F., 1858

An inhabitant of rainforest. Males were present in a nest at Rancho Grande, Venezuela, during the time of collection, 23-27 June. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Pheidole pilifera group
• Key to Pheidole tristis group

Distribution

In addition to the syntype from Rio de Janeiro, and a series from Sao Paulo, I have seen a series of fabricator from Rancho Grande, Aragua, Venezuela, 1100 m, col W. L. and D. E. Brown. Kempf (1972b) reports the species in addition from the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. I have also examined the same or possibly a closely related species from near Belem, Para, Brazil; and from the Guayabero River, Meta, Colombia. (Wilson 2003)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -8.0167° to -27.0667°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality), Colombia, Venezuela.

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

Syntype of Atta nigriventris. Worker. Specimen code casent0901612. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

• fabricator. Atta fabricator Smith, F. 1858b: 167 (s.w.q.m.) BRAZIL. Combination in Pheidole: Mayr, 1886c: 360. Senior synonym of nigriventris: Brown, 1981: 528. [P. fabricatrix Schulz, 1906: 155; unjustified emendation.]
• nigriventris. Atta nigriventris Smith, F. 1858b: 169 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Pheidole: Mayr, 1886c: 360. Junior synonym of fabricator: Brown, 1981: 528.

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

Description

DIAGNOSIS From Wilson (2003): A member of the tristis group similar to Pheidole balzani, Pheidole nigella and Pheidole tristis, and distinguished from these and other species in the group by the following traits.

Major: hypostoma 2-toothed; Head Width greater than Head Length; head with mandibles tapering anteriorly, and overall heartshaped; entire anterior dorsal half of head longitudinally carinulate, including frontal triangle and middle section of clypeus.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.18, HL 1.12, SL 0.60, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Minor (Caraguatatuba, Brazil): HW 0.52, HL 0.56, SL 0.52, EL 0.12, PW 0.32.

COLOR Major: body reddish brown except for gaster, which is plain dark brown; appendages medium to dark brown.

Minor: head plain medium brown except for the genae, which are yellowish brown; mesosoma brownish yellow; gaster dark brown; appendages light brown.

Figure. Upper: syntype, major. Lower: minor, associated with a major that was compared with syntype major (Reserva Floresta, Caraguatatuba, 40-80 m, Sao Paulo, Brazil, col. W. L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Syntype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Natural History Museum and Museum of Comparative Zoology - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology

L fabricator, maker, builder. (Wilson 2003)

References

• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1981. Preliminary contributions toward a revision of the ant genus Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Part I. J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 54: 523-530 (page 528, senior synonym of nigriventris)
• Mayr, G. 1886c. Notizen über die Formiciden-Sammlung des British Museum in London. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 36: 353-368 (page 360, Combination in Pheidole)
• Schulz, W. A. 1906. Spolia hymenopterologica. Paderborn: Junfermannsche Buchhandlung, 355 pp. (page 155, P. fabricatrix; unjustified emendation.)
• Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 167, soldier, worker, queen, male described)
• Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 688, fig. major, minor described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Diehl-Fleig E. 2014. Termites and Ants from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sociobiology (in Press).
• Eidmann H. 1936. Ökologisch-faunistische Studien an südbrasilianischen Ameisen. [part]. Arb. Physiol. Angew. Entomol. Berl.-Dahl. 3: 26-48.
• Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
• Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Luederwaldt H. 1918. Notas myrmecologicas. Rev. Mus. Paul. 10: 29-64.
• Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.