Pheidole macracantha

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole macracantha
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. macracantha
Binomial name
Pheidole macracantha
Wilson, 2003

Nothing is known about the biology of Pheidole macracantha.

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Panama (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.

  • macracantha. Pheidole macracantha Wilson, 2003: 717, figs. (w.) PANAMA.

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

Description

DIAGNOSIS Tentatively placed in the tristis group because of its larger size, macracantha is similar to Pheidole cataphracta of the punctatissima group, differing in the minor caste as follows: much larger; occiput in full face strongly convex instead of concave; pilosity denser and longer; first gastral tergite mostly shagreened.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype minor: HW 0.72, HL 0.76, SL 0.78, EL 0.12, PW 0.46.

COLOR Concolorous yellow.


Pheidole macracantha Wilson 2003.jpg

Figure. Holotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Type Material

PANAMA: Guipe, col. J. Zetek. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Gr macracantha, large thorn, alluding to propodeal spine.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Wilson E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, [ix] + 794 pp.