Pheidole littoralis Cole

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 555-645 : 581

Pheidole littoralis Cole

Pheidole sitarches littoralis Cole 1952b: 443. Raised to species level by Naves 1985: 64.

Types Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.; Nat. Mus. Nat. Hist. U.S.; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L littoralis , of the shore, referring to the habitat at the type locality.

diagnosis A member of the " pilifera complex" of the larger pilifera group, comprising calens , californica , carrolli , cavigenis , clementensis , creightoni , hoplitica , littoralis , micula , pilifera , polymorpha , rugulosa , senex , soritis , tepicana , torosa , which complex is characterized by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes horizontally 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. littoralis is easily distinguished within the complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: occiput not rugulose, but covered with conspicuous foveae; anterior and lateral margins of pronotum rugoreticulate; mesonotum longitudinally carinulate; triangular subpostpetiolar process present; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped.

Minor: most of head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Paratype major: HW 1.40, HL 1.52, SL 0.56, EL 0.20, PW 0.58.

Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.50, SL 0.42, EL 0.12, PW 0.28.

color Major: gaster plain medium to dark brown; remainder of body, and appendages, reddish brown. Minor: most of body light brown, with dark brown gaster and brownish yellow appendages.

Range Apparently limited to central Florida.

biology Naves (1985) and Stefan Cover (unpublished) found littoralis very common nesting in white-sand scrub at the Archbold Field Station near Lake Placid, Florida, and close to colonies of adrianoi and metallescens . The excavations are relatively very deep, beneath crescentic crater mounds, and the colonies small. A granary chamber filled with seeds is always found 10 to 20 cm beneath the surface.

Figure Upper: paratype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. FLORIDA: Lido Beach, Sarasota. Scale bars = 1 mm.