Pheidole tawauensis

Pheidole tawauensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. tawauensis
Binomial name
	Pheidole tawauensis; Eguchi, 2001 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Pheidole tawauensis.

Identification

Eguchi (2001) - This species is very similar to Pheidole butteli among Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan congeners (for the difference between the two, see under P. butteli).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 4.6675° to 3.258333333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia.

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Paratype of Pheidole tawauensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0901656. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

tawauensis. Pheidole tawauensis Eguchi, 2001b: 119, fig. 50 (s.w.) BORNEO.

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

Description

Worker

Eguchi 2001. Figure 50.

Major (n=4): TL 2.5-2.7 mm, HL 1.23~1.28 mm, HW 1.05-1.08 mm, SL 0.47-0.51 mm, FL 0.69-0.77 mm, CI 83-86, SI 44-49, FI 66-73. Head broadest at about midlength of head (Fig. 50A), in profile not impressed on vertex (Fig. 50B). Hypostoma bearing three median processes, of which medianmost one is inconspicuous. Clypeus without a median longitudinal carina, with anterior margin emarginate medially. Eye situated at about 1/3 distance of head (as measured from the mid-point of a transverse line spanning the anteriormost and posteriormost projecting points, respectively); distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye 1.7-2.0 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina and antennal scrobe present only around antennal insertion. Frontal lobe relatively developed and erect (Fig. 50B). Antenna with 3-segmented club; scape extending backward to or slightly passing midlength of head; terminal segment 1.0-1.1 times as long as preceding two segments together. Mandible with apical and preapical teeth, and a distinct denticle in front of basal angle. Promesonotum forming a high dome, without any distinct prominence on its posterior declivity (Fig. 50C); each dorsolateral portion of the dome weakly produced. Mesopleuron sometimes divided by a weak transverse impression into two parts, of which lower part is margined dorsally. Propodeal spine triangular, 2-2.5 times as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle. Petiole 1.7-1.9 times as long as postpetiole (excluding helcium); petiolar node in posterior view weakly emarginate at apex. Postpetiole 2.0-2.1 times as broad as petiolar node, in dorsal view strongly angulate laterally.

Frons longitudinally rugose, with enclosures smooth and shining; vertex, and dorsal and lateral faces of occipital lobe weakly rugoso-reticulate, with enclosures weakly punctured and weakly shining; dorsum of promesonotal dome rugose at least partly; anterior and lateral faces of the dome, and lower part of mesopleuron largely smooth and shining; upper part of mesopleuron and large part of lateral face of propodeum weakly punctured and less shining; or whole alitrunk smooth and shining; lateral faces of petiolar pedicel and postpetiole very weakly punctured; dorsa of petiole and postpetiole smooth and shining; first gastral tergite around its articulation with postpetiole weakly punctured. Outer face of mandible sparsely covered with appressed to decumbent hairs, which are 0.03-0.05 mm in length and shorter than distance between piligerous punctures. Body brown to dark brown; antennae and legs lighter than alitrunk.

Minor (n=5): TL 1.6-1.8 mm, HL 0.48-0.53 mm, HW 0.43-0.47 mm, SL 0.47-0.53 mm, AL 0.67-0.72 mm, FL 0.53-0.58 mm, CI 89-90, SI 107-113, FI 122-124. Head in full-face view almost flat medioposteriorly; occipital carina weak but complete (Fig. 50D). Clypeus without median longitudinal carina, with anterior margin in full-face view slightly convex medially. Eye situated just in front of midlength of head; distance between mandibular insertion and anterior margin of eye 1.0-1.1 times as long as maximal diameter of eye. Frontal carina and antennal scrobe present only around antennal insertion. Antenna with 3-segmented club; scape extending beyond posterior border of head by a little more than its 1/5 length; terminal segment 1.0-1.1 times as long as preceding two segments together. Promesonotum convex, without any prominence on its posterior declivity (Fig. 50E). Mesopleuron occasionally divided by a weak transverse impression into two parts. Metanotal groove in profile deep (Fig. 50E). Propodeal spine almost twice as long as diameter of propodeal spiracle. Petiole 1.7-1.8 times as long as postpetiole (excluding helcium); petiolar node in posterior view not emarginate at apex. Postpetiole in dorsal view subhexagonal, 1.8-2.1 times as broad as petiolar node.

Head including clypeus smooth and shining; alitrunk almost smooth and shining; lateral face of petiolar pedicel very weakly punctured; dorsum of petiole, and postpetiole and gaster smooth and shining. Body yellowish-brown to brown.

Paratype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Holotype Major, soil-9 (soil sample), Tawau Hills Park, Sabah, E. Malaysia (Borneo), K. Eguchi leg., 1996, deposited in Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Paratypes 2 majors and 7 minors from the same soil sample to which the holotype belongs, deposited in The Natural History Museum and UMS.

References

Eguchi, K. 2001a. A revision of the Bornean species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Tropics Monograph Series. 2:1-154. (page 119, fig. 50 soldier, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Eguchi K. 2001. A revision of the Bornean species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Tropics Monograph Series 2: 1-154.
Eguchi K., S. Yamane, and S.Y. Zho. 2007. Taxonomic revision of the Pheidole rinae Emery complex. Sociobiology 50 (1): 275-284.
Eguchi K., and S. Yamane. 2003. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in a lowland rainforest, northwestern Borneo. New Entomol. 52(1,2): 49-59.
Hashimoto Y., and M. Mohamed. 2011. Ground-dwelling ant diversity in Maliau Basin, Borneo: evaluation of hand-sorting methods to estimate ant diversity. Tropics 19(2): 85-92.
Kishimoto-Yamata K., F. Hyodo, M. Matsuoka, Y. Hashimoto, M. Kon, T. Ochi, S. Yamane, R. Ishii, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6
Ohasi M., Y. Maekawa, Y. Hashimoto, Y. Takematsu, S. Hasin, and S. Yamane. 2017. CO2 emission from subterranean nests of ants and termites in a tropical rain forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Applied Soil Ecology 117–118: 147–155.
Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58