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Pheidole monteverdensis
| Pheidole monteverdensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. monteverdensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole monteverdensis Wilson, 2003
| |
According to Longino (1997), monteverdensis is a dominant ant in cloud-forest leaf litter, but drops out abruptly below 900 m. Nests have been found in pieces of rotting wood in the leaf litter, and one in the clasping petiole of a non-myrmecophytic Piper. A seed cache was discovered in the latter nest. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Cloud forest in Costa Rica, 1200–1600 m (Longino 1997).
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 10.933° to 9.5534501°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (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. |
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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
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
  
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0635489. Photographer J. Longino, uploaded by University of Utah. | Owned by JTLC. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- monteverdensis. Pheidole monteverdensis Wilson, 2003: 464, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
DIAGNOSIS Similar in various traits to Pheidole albipes, Pheidole alticola, Pheidole browni, Pheidole chalca, Pheidole hedlundorum, [[Pheidole euryscopa Pheidole, Pheidole lustrata, Pheidole palenquensis and Pheidole servilia, and distinguished as follows.
Major: dark brown; eye broadly oval and set well forward on head; posterior dorsal profile of head flat; humerus in dorsal-oblique view lobose; propodeal spines moderately long and slender; postpetiole from above elliptical; almost all of dorsal head surface except occiput, frontal triangle, and midclypeus carinulate; carinulae originating on frontal lobes curve inward slightly, toward midline. Minor: dark brown; eye large, elliptical; pilosity sparse; in dorsal-oblique view humerus and mesonotal convexity subangulate; head mostly foveolate, and promesonotum smooth and shiny.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.78, HL 0.94, SL 0.42, EL 0.14, PW 0.40. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.50, SL 0.40, EL 0.14, PW 0.28.
COLOR Major: body, mandibles, and scapes dark brown; funiculus and legs medium brown. Minor: body mostly dark brown; anterior one-fourth of head capsule, and appendages, medium brown.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
COSTA RICA: Monteverde, 1400 m, col. Stefan Cover. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
Named after the type locality, a famous mountain reserve in Costa Rica.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 464, fig. major, minor described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
- Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
- Smith M. A., W. Hallwachs, D. H. Janzen. 2014. Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient. Ecography 37(8): 720-731.