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Pheidole sigillata
| Pheidole sigillata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. sigillata |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole sigillata Wilson, 2003
| |
Rosumek (2017) assessed trophic resource use and period of activity within the ant community in a southern Brazil Atlantic forest. He found, relative to other Pheidole sampled in this study, Pheidole lucretii, Pheidole nesiota, and Pheidole sigillata had similar patterns and broadly used the most attractive resources. It is known to commonly nest in twigs within leaf litter (Fernandes et al., 2018).
Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Only known from the type locality.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 25.68015° to -23.62172°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (type locality), Paraguay.
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 casent0178056. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0178057. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- sigillata. Pheidole sigillata Wilson, 2003: 754, figs. (s.w.) BRAZIL.
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 aper, Pheidole bambusarum, Pheidole brevicona, Pheidole dyctiota, Pheidole laeviventris, Pheidole lutzi, Pheidole risii, Pheidole rugatula, Pheidole senilis, Pheidole trachyderma and Pheidole traini, differing as follows.
Major: vertex and sides of dorsal surface of head rugoreticulate; occipital lobes foveolate and opaque; frontal lobes carinulate; pronotal dorsum rugoreticulate; sides of pronotum rugulose; metanotum sparsely rugulose; propodeal spines equilaterally triangular.
Minor: occiput slightly constricted, but lacking nuchal collar; occiput, sides of head, and mid-clypeus in full-face view rugoreticulate; promesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; propodeal spines equilaterally triangular.
MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.38, SL 0.56, EL 0.12, PW 0.64. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.56, SL 0.54, EL 0.10, PW 0.38.
COLOR Major: concolorous light brown.
Minor: body yellowish brown except for anterior fourth of head capsule, which is a lighter shade of brownish yellow; appendages brownish yellow.
Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Type Material
Brazil. Caraguatatuba Reserva Florestal, São Paulo, 40–80 m, col. William L. Brown. Museum of Comparative Zoology
Etymology
L sigillata, adorned with little figures or marks, referring to variable sculpturing among different parts of body.
References
- Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. (page 754, fig. major, minor described)
- Barroso, S.C., Longui, E.L., Fernandes, T.T., Oliveira, C.M., Ferreira, A.C., Silva, R.R., Morini, M.S.C. 2020. Twigs occupied by Pheidole Westwood, 1839: Is there a difference between species? Biota Neotropica 20: e20190897 (doi:10.1590/1676-0611-BN-2019-0897).
- Fernandes, T.T., Souza-Campana, D.R., Silva, R.R., Morini, M.S.C. 2018. Ants that frequently colonize twigs in the leaf litter of different vegetation habitats. Sociobiology 65: 340-344 (DOI 10.13102/sociobiology.v65i2.2742).
- Rosumek, F. B. 2017. Natural History of Ants: What We (do not) Know about Trophic and Temporal Niches of Neotropical Species. Sociobiology. 64:244-255. doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v64i3.1623,
- Ulysséa, M.A., Farder-Gomes, C.F., Prado, L.P. 2024. Biological notes, nest architecture, and morphology of the remarkable ant Hylomyrma primavesi Ulysséa, 2021 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Myrmecological News 34, 1-20 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_034:001).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernandes T. T., R. R. Silva, D. Rodrigues de Souza-Campana, O. Guilherme Morais da Silva, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Winged ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) presence in twigs on the leaf litter of Atlantic Forest. Biota Neotropica 19(3): http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0694
- Fernandes T. T., W. Dattilo, R. R. Silva, P. Luna, C. M. Oliveira, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2019. Ant occupation of twigs in the leaf litter of the Atlantic Forest: influence of the environment and external twig structure. Tropical Conservation Science 12: 1-9.
- Fleck M. D., E. Bisognin Cantarelli, and F. Granzotto. 2015. Register of new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul state. Ciencia Florestal, Santa Maria 25(2): 491-499.
- Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.