Pheidole dyctiota

Occurs in rainforest (Wilson 2003) and also known from a preserve with disturbed habitat that is adjacent to a hyrdoelectric plant and reservior within the Atlantic forest biome of Brazil (Lutinski et al 2017).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known only from the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  dyctiota. Pheidole dyctiota Kempf, 1972b: 451, figs. 1-5 (s.w.q.) BRAZIL. See also: Wilson, 2003: 682.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in various ways to Pheidole aper, Pheidole bambusarum, Pheidole brevicona, Pheidole laeviventris, Pheidole lutzi, Pheidole risii, Pheidole rugatula, Pheidole senilis, Pheidole sigillata, Pheidole trachyderma and Pheidole traini, distinguished as follows.

Major: head transversely rectangular, with Head Width 1.1X Head Length; entire dorsal surface of head wholly rugoreticulate except for frontal triangle and mid-c1ypeus, which are smooth; main lines ofrugoreticulum on frontal lobes oriented longitudinally, as illustrated; all of head and meso soma foveolate except mesopleuron, which is smooth; mesonotal convexity subangulate; postpetiole seen from above cone-shaped.

Minor: almost all of dorsal head surface and promesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 1.16, HL 1.08, SL 0.42, EL 0.06, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.58, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: dark reddish brown; appendages medium reddish brown.

Minor: body and mandibles dark reddish brown, almost black; appendages brownish yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: major (Boraceia Biological Station, Salesopolis, Sao Paulo, 850 m, W. L. Brown) (compared by me with paratype). Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
Nova Teutonia, Brazil. and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Presumably from Gr dictyo-, pertaining to a net; i.e., the rugoreticulum of body surfaces. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Favretto M. A., E. Bortolon dos Santos, and C. J. Geuster. 2013. Entomofauna from West of Santa Catarina State, South of Brazil. EntomoBrasilis 6 (1): 42-63.
 * Kempf W. W. 1972. A study of some Neotropical ants of genus Pheidole Westwood. I. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 15: 449-464.
 * Lutinski J. A., B. C. Lopes, and A. B. B.de Morais. 2013. Diversidade de formigas urbanas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de dez cidades do sul do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 13(3): 332-342.
 * Ramos-Lacau L. S., P. S. D. Silva, S. Lacau , J. H. C. Delabie, and O. C. Bueno. 2012. Nesting architecture and population structure of the fungus-growing ant Cyphomyrmex transversus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) in the Brazilian coastal zone of Ilhéus, Bahia, Annales de la Société entomologique de France (N.S.): International Journal of Entomology. 48(3-4): 439-445.
 * Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.