Pheidole lanigera

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Pheidole lanigera
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Pheidole
Species: P. lanigera
Binomial name
Pheidole lanigera
Wilson, 2003

The type colony was found in terra firme rainforest, in a root mass at the base of a palm tree. (Wilson 2003)

Identification

See the description in the nomenclature section.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

In addition to the type series, I have seen a larger, darker variant, and possibly distinct species, with more extensive cephalic reticulation on the major, from near San Cristóbal, Tachira, Venezuela, collected by J. Lattke. (Wilson 2003)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12.497473° to -12.497473°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Peru (type locality), Venezuela.

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.

  • lanigera. Pheidole laniger Wilson, 2003: 313, figs. (s.w.) PERU.

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

Description

A member of the fallax group, similar to Pheidole lovejoyi (but also scan Pheidole alienata, Pheidole cardinalis, Pheidole caribbaea, Pheidole fallax, Pheidole jelskii, Pheidole lattkei, Pheidole mantilla, Pheidole obscurior (=Pheidole susannae), Pheidole nubicola, Pheidole puttemansi, Pheidole rubiceps, Pheidole roushae, Pheidole susannae and Pheidole tobini), and distinguished as follows.

Major: posterior dorsal profile of head lined by uniform felt of short, subrecumbent hairs; propodeal spine reduced to denticle; occiput smooth; rugoreticulum limited to spaces around eye; dorsal face of petiolar peduncle in side view straight; pronotum bare of carinulae.

Minor: head narrowed posteriorly, nuchal collar present; propodeal spine reduced to denticle.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.26, HL 1.34, SL 0.90, EL 0.20, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.70, SL 0.98, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: concolorous brownish yellow.

Minor: body and appendages light brownish yellow, head a slightly contrasting medium brownish yellow.


Pheidole laniger Wilson 2003.jpg

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

Type Material

PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northwest of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, col. Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin. Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

L laniger, wool-bearing.

References