Pheidole davisi

From Wilson (2003): In the eastern United States, davisi is typically an inhabitant of pine barrens, where it has been found in crater nests constructed in open sandy areas exposed to the sun. Its habitat in Mexico is unknown. Colonies have been observed to harvest seeds (Stefan Cover).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Key to the Pheidole of the United States

Distribution
In the United States, davisi has been recorded from New York to North Carolina and northern Alabama. I have also identified a series collected by Stuart and Jarmila Kukalová-Peck from the Mesa de Chipinque Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in northeastern Mexico. The species thus appears to have a disjunct distribution between the southeastern U.S. and northeastern Mexico, of the kind known in many other animal and plant species. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.



Nomenclature

 *  davisi. Pheidole davisi Wheeler, W.M. 1905f: 380 (s.w.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 574.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A small brown member of the pilifera group distinguished by the following traits.

Major: mesonotal convexity small, obtuse-subangular; metanotal groove absent, with metanotal profile forming a continuous line with that of the basal propodeal face; mesonotal dorsum, mesopleuron, and side of propodeum covered with longitudinal carinulae, foveolate, and opaque; pronotal dorsum transversely and pronotal sides longitudinally carinulate, foveolate, and opaque.

Minor: mesopleuron and side of propodeum longitudinally carinulate; all of mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Close to Pheidole adrianoi of Florida but differing in the above and other characters.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 0.98, HL 0.96, SL 0.44, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.46, SL 0.42, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.

COLOR Major: body light reddish to yellowish brown.

Minor: body concolorous dark reddish brown; antennae yellowish brown.



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

Type Material
NEW JERSEY: Lakehurst. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)