Pheidole soritis

In eastern Colorado, Gregg (1963) found P. soritis under rocks in the clay soil of cottonwood-willow woodland and shortgrass prairie, from 1000 to 1300 m. I encountered it near Datil, New Mexico, in open juniper woodland (Wilson 1957). A nuptial flight was observed in progress following rainfall on 9 August in an abandoned homesite clearing. The swarms of flying ants, which held resolutely to the clearings, consisted mostly of males. The aggregations were roughly circular in shape and hovered from about half a meter to nearly 2 meters above the surface, depending on wind conditions. Winged queens flew into the swarms and were quickly seized by a male, whereupon the pair spiraled to the ground together. After insemination, the queens shed their wings and ran off over the ground, evidently in search of a nest site. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Mississippi west to Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and northern Mexico. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from the United States. 98

Nomenclature

 * rufescens. Pheidole sitarches subsp. rufescens Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 443 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of campestris: Creighton, 1950a: 189; of soritis: Cole, 1953e: 298; of campestris: Gregg, 1959: 30. [Although both Creighton and Gregg give campestris as the senior name, rufescens has priority: Bolton, 1995b: 329.] Subspecies of sitarches: Bolton, 1995b: 329. Junior synonym of soritis: Wilson, 2003: 598.
 * sitarches. Pheidole sitarches Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 440 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. Senior synonym of transvarians: Creighton, 1950a: 189; Gregg, 1959: 30. Junior synonym of soritis: Wilson, 2003: 598.
 *  soritis. Pheidole soritis Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 439 (s.w.) U.S.A. Subspecies of sitarches: Creighton, 1950a: 190. Revived status as species: Cole, 1953e: 298. Junior synonym of sitarches: Cole, 1956c: 115. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of sitarches: Gregg, 1959: 30; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1373. Revived status as species and senior synonym of campestris, rufescens, sitarches, transvarians: Wilson, 2003: 598.
 * transvarians. Pheidole sitarches var. transvarians Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 442 (s.w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of sitarches: Creighton, 1950a: 189; Gregg, 1959: 30; of soritis: Wilson, 2003: 598.
 * campestris. Pheidole sitarches subsp. campestris Creighton, 1950a: 189 (s.w.) U.S.A. [First available use of Pheidole sitarches subsp. rufescens var. campestris Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 443; unavailable name.] Taber & Cokendolpher, 1988: 95 (k.). Junior synonym of soritis: Cole, 1953e: 298. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of sitarches: Cole, 1956c: 115 (footnote); Gregg, 1959: 30. Synonym of rufescens: Creighton, 1950a: 189; Gregg, 1959: 30. [Both references give campestris as senior synonym, but rufescens has priority and is the first available name for this taxon: Bolton, 1995b: 318.] Junior synonym of soritis: Wilson, 2003: 598.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A member of the “pilifera complex” of the larger pilifera group, comprising Pheidole calens, Pheidole californica, Pheidole carrolli, Pheidole cavigenis, Pheidole clementensis, Pheidole creightoni, Pheidole hoplitica, Pheidole littoralis, Pheidole micula, Pheidole pilifera, Pheidole polymorpha, Pheidole rugulosa, Pheidole senex, Pheidole soritis, Pheidole tepicana and Pheidole torosa, which complex is distinguished by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobe transversely rugulose (or, in carrolli smooth, in littoralis foveate, and in micula and soritis carinulate); postpetiole from above diamond-shaped, trapezoidal, or spinose. Minor: eye medium-sized to large.

P. soritis is distinguished within this complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: extensive transverse carinulae of occiput curve laterally and forward, with many reaching the anterior border of the head capsule; almost entire dorsal surface of head, including clypeus, carinulate; rugulae lacking on head; humerus low and smoothly convex; postpetiole seen from above laterally angulate; small denticle present on anterior ventral surface of postpetiole in side view.

Minor: dorsal profile of promesonotum lined solely with evenly spaced pairs of clavate hairs; similar hairs occur on the waist; eye very large. The tangled infraspecific nomenclature of this species has been built mostly on variation in the sculpturing of the minor’s head. From central Texas north and west, the posterior dorsal surface is foveolate and opaque (subsp. rufescens = subsp. campestris). To the south, into Mexico, it is smooth and shiny, as illustrated here (subsp. sitarches). Westward to Arizona and Utah it is carinulate (typical soritis). Whether this variation is truly geographic within a single species or reflects the existence of sibling species around sitarches sensu str., is a question that awaits closer field and museum research.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype soritis major: HW 1.16, HL 1.22, SL 0.60, EL 0.20, PW 0.52. Syntype sitarches minor (no type soritis minors available): HW 0.46, HL 0.50, SL 0.48, EL 0.12, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major: head and appendages light reddish brown, body a slightly contrasting medium reddish brown.

Minor: body plain light brown, appendages brownish yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: syntype major of synonymous sitarches. Lower: syntype minor of synonymous sitarches. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
NEW MEXICO: Albuquerque.

Etymology
Unknown

Additional References
Wheeler, W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: 399–485.

[[Media:Wilson 1958d.pdf|Wilson, E. O. 1957. The organization of a nuptial flight of the ant Pheidole sitarches Wheeler. Psyche (Camb.) 64: 46-50 PDF]]

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