Pheidole tumida, Eguchi, 2008

Eguchi, Katsuyuki, 2008, A revision of Northern Vietnamese species of the ant genus Pheidole (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Zootaxa 1902 (1), pp. 1-118 : 97-100

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.1902.1.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039687A9-FFBE-A44A-FF67-67ABFC24FC7E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Pheidole tumida
status

sp. nov.

Pheidole tumida sp.n.

Figs. 27a–g View FIGURE 27

Pheidole nodifera F. Smith. Eguchi, Bui et al. 2005: 90 View in CoL (checklist).

Pheidole sp. ( cf. nodifera View in CoL ). Eguchi, Bui & Janssen 2005 (ecological study).

Type material examined: Holotype: major, Cuc Phuong N.P., Ninh Binh, Vietnam (20°14’N, 105°36’E, 370 m alt.) [K. Eguchi leg., colony: Eg 01-VN-176] ( IEBR); paratypes: 18 majors, 20 minors & 1 queen from the same colony as holotype ( IEBR, MCZC, MHNG & ACEG). GoogleMaps

Other material examined: S. China: Guangxi: Gao Zhai (300 m alt.), Xing An County [Eg 00-GNGX- 012] ; Hong Kong: Victoria Park , Hong Kong I. [ Eg 99-HK-22], Taipo Kau, New Territory [Eg 99-HK-07] . Vietnam: Bac Kan: Ba Be N.P., 22°24–25’N, 105°37–38’E, <260 m alt. [Eg04-VN-158, -164, -175, -177, - 180, -200, -206]; Quang Ninh: Ky Thuong N.R., 21°09–11’N, 107°06–07’E, 105–550 m alt. [Eg03-VN-165, - 191, -247; B&E03-77], Chua Yen Tu, 21°09’N, 106°43’E, 520–845 m alt. [Eg04-VN-006, -010, -025]; Bac Giang: W. Yen Tu N.P. (= Tay Yen Tu N.P.), 21°10–11’N, 106°43–44’N, 170–415 m alt. [Eg03-VN-028, -039, -042, -056, -057, -073, -075, -099; Eg04-VN-086, -095; B&E03-13, -14, -19, -24]; Ha Tay (misspelled as “Ha Tai”): Ba Vi N.P., 21°03’N, 105°22’E, 400–600 m alt. [Eg99-VN-081, -108; Eg02-VN-012]; Ninh Binh: Cuc Phuong N.P., 20°14’N, 105°36’E, 370 m alt. [Eg01-VN-162, -163, -170]; Nghe An: Pu Mat N.P. ( Sang Le Forest Area , 19°11’N, 104°37–38’E, <220 m alt.) [Eg01iv06-09]; Dong Nai: S. Cat Tien N.P., <160 m alt. [Eg 04-VN-553] GoogleMaps . Thailand: Chanthaburi: Khao Soi Dao [Eg01-TH-024]; Trang: Khao Chong Waterfall [Eg01- TH-750]; Narathiwat: Bala-Hala W.S. ( Bala Area ) [Eg01-TH-686] . Malaysia: Selangor: Ulu Gombak [FI98- 84] . Indonesia: Sungai Wain, E. Kalimantan [G. Fredriksson]; W. Java: Halimun [FI98-328]; E. Java: Purwodai [FI98-277]; Bali: Dusun PK Jelati, Mendaya [Eg98-BALI-727, -748], Mt. Kelatakan [Eg98-BALL-1111, - 1114; IKT. Ginarsa’s colony: KT-163]. Eguchi’s informal species code “ Pheidole sp. eg-100” applies to this species .

Worker measurements & indices: Holotype (major). — HL 1.98 mm; HW 1.99 mm; CI 101; SL 1.11 mm; SI 56; FL 1.58 mm; FI 79.

Nontype major (n=4). — HL 1.63–1.90 mm; HW 1.63–1.98 mm; CI 100–105; SL 0.93–1.07 mm; SI 52– 60; FL 1.38–1.54 mm; FI 78–85.

Minor (n=5, including one paratype minor). — HL 0.71–0.78 mm; HW 0.57–0.66 mm; CI 79–87; SL 0.91–1.04 mm; SI 147–166; FL 1.03–1.18 mm; FI 166–192.

Worker description

Major. — Head in lateral view not or very weakly impressed on vertex; frons and anterior part of vertex rugose longitudinally; posterior part of vertex and dorsal and dorsolateral faces of vertexal lobe rugoso-reticulate obliquely, or reticulate; frontal carina weak, or present just as rugula(e); antennal scrobe inconspicuous or absent; median longitudinal carina of clypeus usually conspicuous, but sometimes weak or just present as weak rugula(e); median and submedian processes of hypostoma absent, or sometimes present but inconspicuous; lateral processes conspicuous but often small; antenna with a 3-segmented club; maximal diameter of eye longer than or almost as long as antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome in dorsal view rugoso-reticulate transversely or irregularly, in lateral view with a conspicuous prominence or at least low mound on its posterior slope; humerus (very) weakly produced laterad; the dome at the humeri narrower than at the bottom (or sometimes almost as broad as or a little broader than at the bottom); propodeal spine usually finger-shaped or spatulate. Petiole shorter than postpetiole (excluding helcium), in dorsal view with a well-developed flange laterally; subpetiolar process extremely developed, lobate; postpetiole massive. First gastral tergite rugosopunctate or at least shagreened over the surface.

Minor. — Frons and vertex largely smooth; area between antennal insertion and eye often rugose or rugoso-punctate; preoccipital carina conspicuous dorsally and laterally; median part of clypeus smooth and shining; median longitudinal carina often present; antenna with a 3-segmented club; scape extending far beyond posterolateral margin of head; maximal diameter of eye shorter than antennal segment X. Promesonotal dome largely smooth, but sometimes shagreened dorsolaterally and/or with several short rugulae on humerus, in lateral view with a conspicuous mound on its posterior slope; humerus of the dome in dorso-oblique view not or hardly produced (rarely produced weakly as a mound); mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral face of propodeum dimly to weakly punctured at least partly; propodeal spine usually reduced to a short and thin spine or a small dent, or sometimes almost absent. Petiole shorter than postpetiole (excluding helcium); subpetiolar process absent, or present as a longitudinal carina; postpetiole massive.

Recognition: This species has the following combination of diagnostic characteristics: in the minor head and promesonotal dome largely smooth and shining; in the major hypostoma without median and submedian processes; in the major and minor promesonotal dome in lateral view with a conspicuous prominence or mound on its posterior slope; in the major subpetiolar process lobate; in the major and minor postpetiole massive.

Pheidole tumida , Pheidole noda and Pheidole nodifera are not distinguished from each other in minor’s morphology. Thus, there is a certain possibility that P. tumida is conspecific with P. nodifera which was described by F. Smith (1874) based on the minor alone from N. China. Pheidole tumida , characterised by a lobate subpetiolar process in the major, is easily distinguished from Pheidole noda and other Indo-Chinese species.

Distribution & bionomics: Known from the Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan subregions. Ranging from forests edges to well-develop forests. Nesting in the soil and rotting logs.

MHNG

Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole

Loc

Pheidole tumida

Eguchi, Katsuyuki 2008
2008
Loc

Pheidole nodifera

F. Smith. Eguchi, Bui 2005: 90
2005
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