Pheidole paiute

In Nevada, George C. and Jeanette N. Wheeler (1986) encountered paiute at 1040–2100 m in cottonwood groves, a triplex scrubland, pinyon-juniper woodland, and in disturbed habitats, nesting mostly under stones but also in open soil, where colonies built craters about 25 mm across. At Deep Canyon, near Palm Springs, California, the same authors found the species in larrea-palo verde scrub and desert, nesting in the soil; in one nest excavated, they found a cache of Oenothera clavaeformis seeds. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Deserts of Nevada and southern California. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from the United States.

Nomenclature

 *  paiute. Pheidole bicarinata subsp. paiute Gregg, 1959: 17 (s.w.) U.S.A. Subspecies of bicarinata: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1367. Raised to species: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1973e: 75; Wilson, 2003: 588.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the “bicarinata complex” of the larger pilifera group; for a characterization of the complex, see under bicarinata. P. paiute is distinguished within the complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: propodeal spine in side view equilaterally triangular; humerus with a very low denticle in dorsal-oblique view; postpetiolar node laterally angular; sculpturing of head consists of carinulae confined entirely to the part anterior to the level of the posterior margin of the eyes.

Minor: some of the hairs on the promesonotal dorsum are very long; propodeal spines in side view equilaterally triangular.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.14, SL 0.54, EL 0.18, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.56, SL 0.48, EL 0.12, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major: concolorous dark yellow.

Minor: body brownish yellow, appendages brownish yellow to clear yellow.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
NEVADA: Goldfield, Esmeraldo Co., Mojave Desert, col. William S. Creighton. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Named after one of the Amerindian peoples of the southwestern United States. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Gregg, R. E. 1959 (“1958”). Key to the species of Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the United States. J. New York Entomol. Soc. 66: 7–48.

Wheeler, G. C. and J. Wheeler. 1986. The Ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.

Text and images from this publication used by permission of the author.