Pheidole leptina

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Pheidole leptina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. leptina
Binomial name
Pheidole leptina
Wilson, 2003

Nothing is known about the biology of leptina.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -10.06666667° to -11.98293°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil, Peru (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • leptina. Pheidole leptina Wilson, 2003: 316, figs. (s.w.) PERU.

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

Description

A member of the “jujuyensis complex” of the larger fallax agroup, comprising Pheidole araneoides, Pheidole cuevasi, Pheidole durionei, Pheidole jujuyensis, Pheidole kugleri, Pheidole leonina, Pheidole leptina, Pheidole lucretii, Pheidole lupus, Pheidole paraensis, Pheidole punctithorax, Pheidole tijucana, Pheidole wallacei and Pheidole wolfringi, which complex is characterized in both major and minor by slender body form and exceptionally long antennal scapes and petiolar pedicel; also in the major by a proportionately small head; and in the minor by a strongly developed nuchal collar. P. leptina is distinguished as follows.

Major: antennal scape exceeding the occipital corner by more than 2! its own maximum width; head unusually small and occiput narrowed in frontal view; posterior half of head capsule and all of gaster smooth and shiny; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.

Minor: occipital neck only moderately developed; propodeal spines reduced to denticles. Both castes: body brown, appendages dark yellow.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.84, HL 0.94, SL 0.84, EL 0.22, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.72, SL 0.98, EL 0.18, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major: body uniformly medium brown, appendages brownish yellow.

Minor: gaster light brown, rest of body medium brown, appendages dark yellow.


Pheidole leptina Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

PERU: Cocha Cashu Research Station, Madre de Dios, 400 m , col. Diane W. Davidson. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Gr leptina, thin, slender.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bezdeckova K., P. Bedecka, and I. Machar. 2015. A checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Zootaxa 4020 (1): 101–133.