Pheidole punctatissima

Nomenclature

Species: Pheidole punctatissima Mayr, 1870

Usage: valid

Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21088 - CASENT0901593
Syntype: BMNH - ANTC21088 - CASENT0901594

External links

Antweb | Antwiki

Diagnostic description

Diagnosis of worker among Antkey species

Worker castes bimorphic. Head shape ovoid (minor workers) or subrectangular with posterolateral lobes (majors), but never triangular. Antenna 12-segmented. Antennal club 3-segmented. Antennal insertions at least partly covered by frontal lobes; not surrounded by a raised sharp-edged ridge. Frontal lobes do not obscure face outline between mandible and eye; relatively close together so that the posteromedian portion of the clypeus, where it projects between the frontal lobes, is at most only slightly broader than one of the lobes. Posterolateral corners of head unarmed, without spines. Mandibles triangular. Mesosoma with erect hairs. Pronotal spines absent. Propodeum armed with spines or teeth. Slope of mesosoma steep. Waist 2-segmented. Petiole pedunculate with a distinct and upright node; lacking large subpetiolar process. Postpetiole attached to lower surface of gaster; not swollen; in dorsal view not distinctly broader than long or distinctly wider than petiole. Minor worker characters. Antennal scapes extend beyond posterior margin of head. Antennal scrobe lacking. Postpetiole not swollen relative to petiole. Hairs on mesosoma stout and stiff, arranged in pairs. Head punctate; posterior head margin relatively narrow and rounded. Color brown or reddish brown to black. Scape index (SI) = 114–125. Major worker characters. Antennal scapes do not extend beyond posterior margin of head. Posterolateral lobes distinctly punctate and lacking rugae. Head reddish brown or more rarely yellowish, but never bicolored with the yellowish posterior two-thirds contrasting with the darker brown anterior third and rest of body.

Minor workers of P. punctatissima are most easily distinguished from P. fervens, P. megacephala, P. obscurithorax and P. teneriffana by the presence of an entirely punctate head. Pheidole punctatissima can be separated from P. flavens and P. moerens by the erect mesosomal hairs, which are stout, stiff and arranged in pairs (versus fine, flexuous and not arranged in pairs). Separating P. punctatissima from the closely P. bilimeki and P. anastasii is more difficult (Longino & Cox, 2009). The posterior head margin is narrower and rounder (versus broader and flatter in P. bilimeki) and the antennal scapes are relatively longer (SI 114–125 versus 95–108 in P. bilimeki). The color is reddish brown to black in P. punctatissima and yellow to yellowish brown in P. anastasii. Additionally, P. punctatissima typically nests in open disturbed habitat (versus live plant cavities in P. anastasii). The punctate posterolateral lobes of major workers of P. anastasii separated them from P. megacephala (smooth and shining posterolateral lobes) and from P. fervens, P. flavens, P. moerens, P. obscurithorax and P. teneriffana (rugose posterolateral lobes). Pheidole anastasii majors are distinguished from those of P. anastasii and P. bilimeki by the bicolored head which is dark red brown anteriorly and yellow posteriorly (versus uniform in head color throughout).

Look alikes

Pheidole bilimeki, Pheidole anastasii

Distribution

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