Pheidole laevicolor

Pheidole laevicolor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. laevicolor
Binomial name
	Pheidole laevicolor; Eguchi, 2006 Specimen Labels

This species occurs from forest edges to well-developed forests and nests in the soil (Eguchi et al. 2004, Eguchi 2006). Majors serve as repletes (Eguchi 2008).

At a Glance

• Replete Workers

Identification

Eguchi (2008) - This species is characterized among Indo-Chinese species by the combination of the following characteristics:

in the major dorsal and lateral faces of head and promesonotal dome smooth and shining
in the major vertex and dorsal and lateral faces of vertexal lobe reticulate, with enclosures weakly punctured
in the major hypostoma in the middle with a conspicuous median process and a pair of conspicuous submedian processes
in the major and minor promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope

It is very similar to Pheidole taipoana, but distinguished from the latter which has the following characteristics in the major:

impression on vertex in lateral view deep
area in front of a transverse impression on vertex sparsely sculptured with weak longitudinal rugulae, with interspaces smooth and shining (see also Eguchi 2006)

Keys including this Species

Key to the Pheidole of North Vietnam

Distribution

Known from N. Vietnam.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 21.58333333° to 14.9°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Vietnam (type locality).

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.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Paratype of Pheidole laevicolor. Worker. Specimen code casent0911217. Photographer Alexandra Westrich, 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.

laevicolor. Pheidole laevicolor Eguchi, 2006: 123, figs. (s.w.) VIETNAM. See also: Eguchi, 2008: 46.

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

Description

Worker

Eguchi (2008) - Major (data from the original description, but FL was erroneously given as “0.86–0.76” in the original description). — HL 1.06–1.20 mm; HW 0.98–1.08 mm; CI 90–92; SL 0.49–0.55 mm; SI 50–52; FL 0.68–0.76 mm; FI 67–72. Minor (data from the original description). — HL 0.50–0.58 mm; HW 0.42–0.50 mm; CI 84–88; SL 0.47– 0.58 mm; SI 108–116; FL 0.49–0.62 mm; FI 117–124.

Major — Head in lateral view weakly or hardly impressed on vertex; frons longitudinally rugose; vertex and dorsal and lateral facecs of vertexal lobe reticulate, with enclosures weakly punctured; frontal carina very weak or inconspicuous (present just as rugulae); antennal scrobe inconspicuous; clypeus at most with an inconspicuous median longitudinal carina; median, submedian and lateral processes of hypostoma conspicuous; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye a little longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri usually as broad as or a little broader than at the bottom (but sometime a little narrower than at the bottom). Petiole much longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); postpetiole not massive. First gastral tergite weakly punctured around its articulation with postpetiole, and shagreened to smooth in the remainder.

Minor — Dorsum of head smooth and shining; preoccipital carina complete, but usually very weak dorsally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining, without a median longitudinal carina; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape exceeding posterior margin of head at least by the half length of antennal segment II; maximal diameter of eye almost as long as or a little longer than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining, with one or several weak or inconspicuous transverse rugulae anterodorsally, in lateral view at most with an inconspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus in dorso-oblique view not or hardly produced laterad; mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum weakly or dimly punctured; propodeal spine elongate-triangular. Petiole (much) longer than postpetiole (excluding helcium); post-petiole not massive.

Type Material

Eguchi (2008) - Holotype: major, “Tam Dao N.P., 21°27’N, 105°38’E, ca. 1000 m alt., Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, Eg01-VN-130”, IEBR, examined; paratypes: 14 majors & 15 minors, same data as holotype, (IEBR, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Natural History Museum, FSKU & ACEG, examined.

References

Eguchi, K. 2006. Six new species of Pheidole Westwood from North Vietnam. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 113: 115-131.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Eguchi K. 2006. Six new species of Pheidole Westwood from North Vietnam (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie 113:115-131
Eguchi K. 2008. A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1902: 1-118.
Eguchi K., S. Yamane, and S.Y. Zho. 2007. Taxonomic revision of the Pheidole rinae Emery complex. Sociobiology 50 (1): 275-284.
Eguchi K.; Bui T. V.; Yamane S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), part I Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128