Pheidole piceonigra
Pheidole piceonigra | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Pheidole |
Species: | P. piceonigra |
Binomial name | |
Pheidole piceonigra Emery, 1922 | |
Synonyms | |
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Longino’s notes (1997) on the distribution and natural history ofindistinct may apply to that species, to piceonigra, or to both. I found a large, undoubted piceonigra colony nesting at the base of an ornamental shrub in a much disturbed San José city park. In Tamaulipas, the Cornell University Mexico Field Party of 1965 encountered it at 1070 m in tall cloud forest. (Wilson 2003)
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
I have seen series from Chiapas, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz in Mexico, at 1070–2200 m, and from Costa Rica. On the basis of the types, I am considering this species as different from indistincta, which also occurs in Costa Rica. (Wilson 2003)
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Mexico (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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Paralectotype Pheidole piceonigra. Worker. Specimen code casent0601284. Photographer John T. Longino, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMV. |
Major
Images from AntWeb
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Lectotype Pheidole piceonigra. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0601283. Photographer John T. Longino, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMV. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- picea. Pheidole picea Mayr, 1870b: 988 (s.w.) MEXICO. [Junior secondary homonym of picea Buckley, above.] Replacement name: piceonigra Emery, 1922e: 109.
- piceonigra. Pheidole piceonigra Emery, 1922e: 109. Replacement name for picea Mayr, 1870b: 988. [Junior secondary homonym of Atta picea Buckley, 1967: 344.] See also: Wilson, 2003: 216.
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): Close to Pheidole indistincta of Costa Rica, considered by Longino (1997) to belong with it in a single, very variable species. The types, however, are very different, with those of piceonigra distinguished as follows.
Major: piceonigra with much less abundant pilosity than indistincta; rugoreticulation between eye and antennal fossa; color much darker (see color below), and head concolorous, not bicolorous as in indistincta; posterior side of head with bands of foveolae; humerus in dorsal-oblique view rounded; apex of postpetiole in side view more rounded.
Minor: occiput and posterior sides of head foveolate, not smooth as in indistincta; much less pilose than indistincta; color much lighter.
If continuous intergrades are demonstrated between the two forms, they may be joined; otherwise it is more prudent to distinguish them as species.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.06, HL 1.04, SL 0.76, EL 0.20, PW 0.54. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.70, SL 0.80, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.
COLOR Major: body dark brown, gaster almost black. Minor: head, mesosoma, and waist dark reddish brown; propodeum and gaster blackish brown; appendages medium brown.
Figure. Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
MEXICO (no further data). Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna, under picea Mayr - as reported in Wilson (2003)
Etymology
L piceonigra, pitch-black plus black. (Wilson 2003)
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 216, fig. major, minor described)
- Buckley, S. B. 1867. Descriptions of new species of North American Formicidae (continued from page 172.). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Phila. 6: 335-350 (page 344, primary homonym)
- Emery, C. 1922e. Quelques fourmis nouvelles minuscules. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. 19: 107-112 (page 109, replacement name for picea)
- Mayr, G. 1870b. Neue Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 20: 939-996 (page 988, junior secondary homonym of Atta picea Buckley)
- Vazquez-Franco, C.M., Castano-Meneses, G., Rios-Casanova, L., Morrone, J.J. 2024. Three new species of Pheidole Westwood, 1839 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) from central Mexico. Zootaxa 5523(2), 192–210 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5523.2.3).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Wilson, E.O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Genus. Harvard University Press