.jpg){kind=logo}
Pheidole tsontekonwei
| Pheidole tsontekonwei | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. tsontekonwei |
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole tsontekonwei Longino, 2019
| |
This species was collected by Jonathan Amith during his ethnographic studies in coastal Guerrero, Mexico. It is a large seed harvesting ant that nests in the soil. Amith noted that the entrance of nest was a short, upright, hollow cylinder of white powdery material.
Identification
Minor: head subquadrate in full face view; face with patchy, faint foveolation, overlain with sparse longitudinal carinulae; promesonotal groove absent; mesosoma generally smooth and shining, with patches of very faint foveolation; propodeal spines thin, upturned, about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal dorsum and gaster with abundant, short, erect setae; tibiae without erect setae; color light yellow brown.
Major: inner hypostomal teeth lacking; scape base terete; face with fine longitudinal carinulae on anterior third to half, transverse medial band smooth and shiny, vertex lobes with abundant transverse rugulae; propodeal spines short, upturned, about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; pilosity on sides of head very short, suberect, other pilosity similar to minor worker.
Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.77, HL 0.89, SL 0.85, EL 0.19, WL 1.19, PSL 0.09, PTW 0.14, PPW 0.26, CI 87, SI 110, PSLI 11, PPI 191 (n=5).
Measurements, major worker: HW 2.56, HL 2.58, SL 1.06, EL 0.30, WL 1.91, PSL 0.13, PTW 0.37, PPW 0.76, CI 99, SI 42, PSLI 5, PPI 208 (n=5).
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 17.97725° to 17.97725°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: 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. |
|
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
In Economo et al. (2019, as JTL203), this species is related to Pheidole pilifera and other seed harvesting species of the arid southwest of North America. Although not strictly within the geographic scope of this work, this was an opportunity to name this highly distinctive species and to facilitate Amith's ethnographic work in the region.
Castes
Worker
Minor
Images from AntWeb
   
| |
| Paratype. Worker (minor). Specimen code CASENT0624314. Photographer M. Pierce. | |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- tsontekonwei. Pheidole tsontekonwei Longino, 2019: 62, fig. 56 (w.) MEXICO.
Type Material
- HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Mexico, Guerrero: Oapan, 17.97725 -99.46567 ±20 m, 742 m, 26-Jun-2011, nest in soil (J. Amith & J. Herrera) [UNAM, unique specimen identifier CASENT0624331].
- PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, UNAM, USNM].
Description
Etymology
The name means "big head" in Nahuatl (J. Amith, pers. com.).
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Longino J. T. 2019. Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Middle American wet forest. Zootaxa 4599: 1-126