Pheidole hyatti
Pheidole hyatti | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. hyatti |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole hyatti Emery, 1895 | |
Synonyms | |
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Gregg (1963) encountered the Colorado colonies in warm pockets of short grass prairie at 1700 m, and Cole (1953g) found it in New Mexico in pinyon-juniper woodland at 2000 m. Numerous series I have examined from the southwestern United States, many collected and annotated by Stefan Cover, are from nests in open soil and beneath stones and cow pats in a wide range of xeric habitats, from desert grassland to open juniper-oak woodland. Similar habitat records have been published for Utah by Ingham (1959) and Allred (1982) and for Nevada by G. C. and J. N. Wheeler (1986g). Winged queens have been found in nests from 4 July to 7 August. Droual has described the remarkably efficient maneuvers of nest defense and evacuation by hyatti colonies under attack by army ants (Neivamyrmex nigrescens). Droual and Topoff (1981) have shown that emigrations to new sites occur at a high frequency even under apparently stable environmental conditions. The species needs closer study to investigate the possibility that it is a complex of sibling species, in which case the biological data will have to be sorted out for accuracy. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
The major of this species can be recognized by the relatively long scapes, which are flattened near the base. The posterior lateral lobes are finely granulose, and at least moderately shining. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)
Also see the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
P. hyatti is scarce in Colorado, where Gregg (1963) found it at only two localities. It also occurs, often locally abundant, from central Texas to southern California and northern Mexico. (Wilson 2003)
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 40.357235° to 14.866667°.
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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Habitat
Creosotebush scrub, grasslands, riparian vegetation in arid ecosystems, with oaks and hack-berry, pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests, up to 1920 meters in elevation, common in urban habitats. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)
Biology
Mackay and Mackay (2002) - Pheidole hyatti nests under stones, or simply in the soil, in areas with rocky loam, gravely soils, or sandy areas with abundant rocks. Brood is found in nests in March. They are usually not aggressive, and simply escape with the brood when the nest is disturbed. Workers are omnivorous or predaceous, and are attracted to subterranean Vienna sausage baits. Nests are raided by the army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens.
Flight Period
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Source: antkeeping.info.
- Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.
Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Association with Other Organisms
Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
- This species is a host for the eucharitid wasp Orasema tolteca (a parasite) (Universal Chalcidoidea Database) (primary host).
- This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus brunneiventris (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
Castes
Worker
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Worker. . | Owned by Template:MZCZ. |
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Syntype of Pheidole hyatti solitanea. Worker. . | Owned by Template:MZCZ. |
Images from AntWeb
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Worker. Specimen code casent0102879. Photographer Jen Fogarty, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
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Worker. Specimen code casent0005739. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA. |
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Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0102878. Photographer Jen Fogarty, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
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Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0102880. Photographer Jen Fogarty, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
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Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0000211. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Additional images can be found here
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hyatti. Pheidole hyatti Emery, 1895c: 295 (s.w.) U.S.A. Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 463 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953b: 74 (l.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1972b: 244 (l.); Taber & Cokendolpher, 1988: 95 (k.). Senior synonym of ecitonodora: Creighton, 1950a: 180; of vaslitii, solitanea: Ward, 2000: 94. See also: Wilson, 2003: 302.
- vaslitii. Pheidole vaslitii Pergande, 1896: 883 (s.w.) MEXICO. Combination in P. (Allopheidole): Forel, 1912f: 237; in P. (Cardiopheidole): Wheeler, W.M. 1914b: 48. Junior synonym of obtusospinosa: Forel, 1901c: 130. Revived from synonymy: Wheeler, W.M. 1914b: 48; Creighton, 1958: 203. Junior synonym of hyatti: Ward, 2000: 94.
- ecitonodora. Pheidole hyatti var. ecitonodora Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 463 (s.w.q.m.) U.S.A. [Misspelled as ecitodora by Emery, 1922e: 101.] Junior synonym of hyatti: Creighton, 1950a: 180.
- solitanea. Pheidole hyatti subsp. solitanea Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 409 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of hyatti: Ward, 2000: 94.
Type Material
Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève and National Museum of Natural History - as reported in Wilson (2003) 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): Similar to Pheidole ariel, Pheidole desertorum and Pheidole vistana, differing from these and other members of the fallax group as follows. Reddish yellow (major) or light reddish brown (minor); antennal scape moderately long, flattened basally, approaching the occipital border to within about half its own maximum width; pilosity over all the body dorsum dense, very long, and erect to suberect; in dorsal-oblique view, pronotum faintly bilobous and humerus rounded; an extensive rugoreticulum stretches from in front of and mesad to each eye to the circular carinulae of the antennal fossa; dorsum of head and sides of mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque.
Minor: occiput broad, lacking nuchal collar; pilosity of body dorsum dense, very long, and erect to suberect; propodeal spines small but well-formed; mesopleuron and sides of propodeum and waist foveolate and opaque; rest of body smooth and shiny.
According to Stefan Cover (personal communication), hyatti is likely a complex of sibling species.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.32, HL 1.34, SL 0.98, EL 0.22, PW 0.64. Minor (Huachuca Mts., Arizona): HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.86, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.
COLOR Major and minor: concolorous light reddish yellow to medium or dark brown.
Figure. Upper: syntype, major. CALIFORNIA: San Jacinto. Lower: minor. ARIZONA: Huachuca Mts. (compared with minor syntype). Scale bars = 1 mm.
Karyotype
- See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.
Explore: Show all Karyotype data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
- 2n = 20, karyotype = 20M (USA) (Taber & Cokendolpher, 1988).
Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
- Alatorre-Bracamontes, C.E., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2010. Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17(1): 9-36.
- Allred, D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. Great Basin Nat. 42: 415–511.
- Baena, M.L., Escobar, F., Valenzuela, J.E. 2019. Diversity snapshot of green–gray space ants in two Mexican cities. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 40, 239–250 (doi:10.1007/s42690-019-00073-y).
- Cole, A. C., Jr. 1953g. Studies of New Mexico ants, V: The genus Pheidole with synonymy (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Tenn. Acad. Sci. 28: 297–299.
- Creighton, W. S. 1950a. The ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 104: 1-585 (page 180, Senior synonym of ecitonodora)
- Droual, R. and H. Topoff. 1981. The emigration behavior of two species of Pheidole (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Psyche (Camb.) 88: 135–150
- Emery, C. 1895d. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Ameisenfauna. (Schluss). Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 257-360 (page 295, soldier, worker described)
- Gregg, R. E. 1963. The Ants of Colorado, With Reference to their Ecology, Taxonomy, and Geographic Distribution. Boulder: U. of Colorado Press, xvi + 792 pp.
- Huang M H. 2010. Multi-phase defense by the big-headed ant, Pheidole obtusospinosa, against raiding army ants. Journal of Insect Science 10: 1-10.
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- Koch, S., Tahara, R., Vasquez-Correa, A., Abouheif, E. 2021. Nano-CT characterization reveals coordinated growth of a rudimentary organ necessary for soldier development in the ant Pheidole hyatti. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (doi:10.1101/2021.03.05.434146).
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- Wheeler, G. C. and J. Wheeler. 1986g. The Ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.
- Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1953b. The ant larvae of the myrmicine tribe Pheidolini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 55: 49-84 (page 74, larva described)
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References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
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- Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
- Backlin, Adam R., Sara L. Compton, Zsolt B. Kahancza and Robert N. Fisher. 2005. Baseline Biodiversity Survey for Santa Catalina Island. Catalina Island Conservancy. 1-45.
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- Cover S. P., and R. A. Johnson. 20011. Checklist of Arizona Ants. Downloaded on January 7th at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/AZants-2011%20updatev2.pdf
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- Gregg R. E. 1959. Key to the species of Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the United States. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 66: 7-48.
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- Wheeler W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24: 399-485.
- Wheeler, William Morton. 1904. Ants From Catalina Island, California. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. XX. 269-271.
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- North temperate
- North subtropical
- Tropical
- FlightMonth
- Eucharitid wasp Associate
- Host of Orasema tolteca
- Phorid fly Associate
- Host of Apocephalus brunneiventris
- Karyotype
- Species
- Extant species
- Formicidae
- Myrmicinae
- Attini
- Pheidole
- Pheidole hyatti
- Myrmicinae species
- Attini species
- Pheidole species
- Ssr