Pheidole distorta

Nothing is known about the biology of distorta.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known only from Magdalena, northern Colombia. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  distorta. Pheidole distorta Forel, 1899c: 74 (footnote) (s.w.) COLOMBIA. Combination in P. (Trachypheidole): Emery, 1915i: 190. See also: Wilson, 2003: 253.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A bizarre member of the distorta group, closest to Pheidole monstrosa, Pheidole reclusi and Pheidole scapulata, distinguished from these and other species in the group by the absence of propodeal spines and, in the major, by an extreme bulging, “humpback” promesonotal profile, with the mesonotum descending to the basal propodeal face by a long vertical plane. Also remarkable in the contrast between the heavily sculptured major, with the dorsa of the head and promesonotum rugoreticulum, and the entirely smooth and shiny minor.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Major (Parque Tayrona, Colombia): HW 1.16, HL 1.36, SL 0.56, EL 0.14, PW 0.82. Minor (Parque Tayrona): HW 0.60, HL 0.60, SL 0.56, EL 0.12, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: body concolorous dark reddish brown except for gaster, which is blackish brown.

Minor: body concolorous medium reddish brown except for gaster, which is blackish brown; mandibles yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: major. Lower: minor. COLOMBIA: Parque Tayrona, Magdalena. (Minor compared with syntype in Forel Collection, Mus. Hist. Nat. Genève.) Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
Santa Marta, Magdalena. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L distorta, misshapen, deformed. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1899. Formicidae. [part]. Biol. Cent.-Am. Hym. 3: 57–80.

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