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Species: Pheidole nebulosa

Name Status:

Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: Pheidole

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Pheidole nebulosa Wilson, 2003A: 470, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. AntCat AntWiki

Taxonomic history

Senior synonym of Pheidole scabriventris: Longino, 2009 PDF: 57.

Distribution:

Costa Rica (Atlantic lowlands).

Biology:

Natural History:

Inhabits mature wet forest; appears to be both arboreal and terrestrial, occurring commonly in forest floor leaf litter and in the canopy; nests in dead wood, irregular cavities.

Wilson (2005) observed that P. nebulosa and two other species of small Pheidole (flavens and bilimeki) frequently prey on oribatid mites in the leaf litter.

References:

Wilson, E. O. 2003. Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass

Wilson, E. O. 2005. Oribatid mite predation by small ants of the genus Pheidole. Insectes Sociaux 52:263-265.

Taxon Page Author History

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Wilson, E. O.:
etymology L nebulosa , misty, cloudy, alluding to the general foveolate and shagreened body surface.
diagnosis Similar in various traits to bilimeki , chalca , daphne , floridana , furtiva , quercicola , specularis , and stomachosa ,
differing as follows.
Major: bicolored, mostly yellow (see Color); hypostoma with 2 teeth only; promesonotal profile semicircular; humerus in dorsaloblique view low and subangulate; all of mesosoma and waist and almost all of dorsal surface of head foveolate and opaque; all of first gastral tergite but the lateral margins shagreened; spaces between eyes and antennal fossae and anterior borders of head rugulose (not rugoreticulate or carinulate).
Minor: humerus in dorsal-oblique view low and subangulate; propodeal spines long, thin, and needle-like; postpetiolar node in side view suppressed; all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque, but gaster entirely smooth and shiny, not shagreened. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.86, HL 0.92, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.46, SL 0.44, EL 0.06, PW 0.28.
color Major: bicolored, with body and appendages medium yellow with light reddish tinge (tending to light "orange"), and with
medium brown second to terminal gastral tergites.
Minor: concolorous medium yellow with slight reddish tinge.
Range La Selva biological reserve and adjacent Braulio Carillo National Park to 300 m, Atlantic slope of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997).
biology P. nebulosa occurs both on the forest floor and in the canopy of rainforest, nesting in irregular cavities of dead wood, in Tillandsia epiphytes, and under dead bark and pads of moss (Longino 1997).
Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Stefan Cover). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 152 times found in mature wet forest, 89 times found in tropical moist forest, 58 times found in 2º lowland rainforest, 24 times found in lowland wet forest, 25 times found in 2º wet forest, 32 times found in montane wet forest, 17 times found in tropical rainforest, 7 times found in CES (700.350 GIS), 16 times found in 2º lowland tropical rainforest, 11 times found in mesophil forest, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 236 times miniWinkler, 177 times baiting, 28 times Winkler, 7 times Search & Berles, 19 times Mini Winkler, 5 times search, 16 times Berlese, 15 times Lure/Bait, 16 times Malaise, 10 times flight intercept trap, 7 times MaxiWinkler, ...

Elevations: collected from 30 - 985 meters, 212 meters average

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