Pheidole seligmanni

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

The type colony was collected under moss on a rotting log. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Only known from the type locality.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 1.659714° to 1.659714°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (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.

  • seligmanni. Pheidole seligmanni Wilson, 2003: 230, figs. (s.w.) COLOMBIA.

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

Description

A large member of the diligens group closest to Pheidole alfaroi, Pheidole diana, Pheidole laelaps, Pheidole riveti and Pheidole tepuicola, and somewhat less so to Pheidole vafra and Pheidole strigosa, and distinguished from these and other species of Pheidole by the following combination of traits.

Major: carinulae originating on the inner surface of the eye travel laterally to the antennal fossa; propodeal spines absent, the basal and declivitous faces of the propodeum forming an obtuse angle; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped; lateral margins of pronotal dorsum, posterior half of mesopleuron, and all of propodeum carinulate; outer surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with abundant and conspicuous long, erect hairs.

Minor: all of posterior half of head covered by semicircular, “wraparound” carinulae; propodeal spines absent; nuchal collar present.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.96, HL 1.96, SL 1.34, EL 0.24, PW 0.98. Paratype minor: HW 0.76, HL 0.92, SL 1.16, EL 0.14, PW 0.52.

COLOR Major: body moistly medium yellow; anterior half of head deepening gradually to medium yellowish brown on the anterior rim of the clypeus and posteriorly on the first gastral segment.


Pheidole seligmanni Wilson 2003.jpg

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


Type Material

COLOMBIA: Parque Nacional Cuevas de los Guacharos, 10 km southeast of Palestina, Huila, col. Charles Kugler and J. Hahn. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

In honor of Peter A. Seligmann, for his signal contributions to conservation, from the creation of Conservation International to the protection of Neotropical forests and their faunas.

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.