Pheidole minutula
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publication ID |
20017 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6276240 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/84592F81-B2FB-235C-6E7F-A048958CAC39 |
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treatment provided by |
Donat |
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scientific name |
Pheidole minutula |
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Pheidole minutula View in CoL HNS Mayr
Pheidole minutula HNS Mayr 1878: 872. Syn.: Pheidole minutula r. folicola HNS Forel 1904f: 681, n. syn. [Not seen: types of Pheidole minutula var. personata Santschi HNS 1929d: 291.]
Types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.
Etymology L minutula HNS , very small.
diagnosis A very small, yellow species, found in the myrmecophyte Maieta, distinguished in the major by the relatively high, subangulate humerus seen in dorsal-oblique view, the extrusion of the humeral angles slightly beyond the lower part of the pronotum beneath when seen from above, and the parallel longitudinal carinulae covering the anterior half of the head capsule; and in both castes by the mostly smooth and shiny body surface.
Similar to nitidicollis HNS and tenerescens HNS but distinguished by its flatter promesonotal profile, much shallower occiput in full-face view, and absence of transverse carinulae on the anterior pronotal dorsum. See also the less similar arhuaca HNS , flavifrons HNS , and other species listed as close to arhuaca HNS ; and compare the queen to the small, possibly parasitic microgyna HNS .
Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.76, HL 0.86, SL 0.42, EL 0.14, PW 0.40.
Paralectotype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.38, EL 0.06, PW 0.26.
Color Major: body concolorous yellow; gaster, antennae, and legs a shade lighter.
Minor: concolorous yellow.
Range Widespread from Panama and the Guianas to Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.
Biology Colonies were found at Belem by Joseph Bequaert and near Manaus by myself in the swollen leaf bases of the melastome understory shrub Maieta guianensis. The species was abundant where I collected it from the swollen leaf bases of Maieta guianensis (Wilson 1984b). I was able to keep colonies alive and growing in artificial nests away from the melastomes. P. minutula HNS may be the host of another species, P. microgyna HNS , but the status of this form is problematic (Wilson 1984b). Winged queens have been found in nests from July to September.
FIGURE Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. BRAZIL: Amazonas (James Trail). Scale bars = 1 mm.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.