Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus.
Author
Wilson, E. O.
text
2003
Harvard University Press
Cambridge, MA, USA
http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/reference-full.html?id=20017
book
20017
Pheidole pubiventris Mayr
Pheidole pubiventris Mayr
1887: 595, 604, 607. Syn.:
Pheidole pubiventris r. cearensis
Forel 190 lj: 353,
n. syn.
;
Pheidole pubiventris var. nevadensis
Forel 1901J: 353,
n. syn.
;
Pheidole pubiventris r. timmii
Forel 1901m: 62,
n. syn.
(Types not seen:
Pheidole pubiventris
vw.
foederalis Borgmeier
1928a: 34.)
TYPES Naturhist. Mus. Wien; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.
etymology L
pubiventris
, hairy belly, evidently alluding to the conspicuously long pilosity of the gaster.
Diagnosis A medium-sized brown member of the
diligens
group with relatively sparse, extremely long, erect to suberect curving
hairs over the dorsa of the head and body.
Major: sculpturing of head consists entirely of carinulae, which are confined to the anterior half of the head capsule; promesonotal profile trilobous and pronotal humerus subangulate in dorsal-oblique view. Minor: humerus angulate; pronotum mostly foveolate and opaque.
Similar to
longiseta
,
sensitiva
, and
variegata
; differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated. See also the less similar
blumenauensis
,
rochai
,
seeldrayersi
, and
vafra
.
Majors from Colombia have shorter pilosity and more angulate humeri than the Brazilian series; and thus may represent a distinct species.
Measurements (mm) Syntype major (Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard): HW 1.14, HL 1.12, SL 0.86, EL 0.22, PW 0.56.
Syntype minor (Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard): HW 0.54, HL 0.68, SL 0.86, EL 0.16, PW 0.40.
Color Major: light reddish yellow (probably a callow or faded; fresher specimens are blackish brown).
Minor: body medium brown, with light brown appendages (fresher specimens are blackish brown).
Range Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, and Ceara, Brazil; and Magdalena, Colombia.
biology The localities, combined with a note accompanying a specimen from El Campano, Magdalena, Colombia ("in road," W. L. Brown), suggests that this species may be adapted to disturbed habitats. A winged queen was collected at El Campano in June.
figure Upper: syntype, major. Lower: syntype, minor. BRAZIL: Santa Catarina. (The specimens shown are in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University). Scale bars = 1 mm.