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Species: Pheidole amabilis

Name Status: Valid Name

Taxonomic Hierarchy:

Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: Pheidole

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)

Pheidole amabilis Wilson, 2003A: 369, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA. AntCat AntWiki

Distribution:

Costa Rica: Atlantic slope to 1100m.

Biology:

Natural History:

This species occurs in wet forest. Workers have not been observed at baits or in Winkler samples. Three nests have been observed in Cecropia sapling internodes, one in the foliar pouches of a myrmecophytic melastome, and one in a dead stick in the leaf litter. When the dead stick was cracked, two Pheidole nests were found, one of this species and one of Pheidole scrobifera (JTL0219). The two nests were separated by a 1cm plug of sawdust. When they mixed, fighting ensued.

Taxon Page Author History

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Wilson, E. O.:
Etymology L amabilis , lovely.
Diagnosis A medium-sized, concolorous yellow species whose major is distinguished by the slightly concave profile of the posterior half of the head capsule; also possessing a carpet of dense, evenly short, forward-projecting, subdecumbent (45AÃ‚Â°-angled from surface) hairs on the posterior half of the head and occiput; weak but distinct mesonotal convexity; and short, nearly vertical propodeal spines.
Similar to angulifera , boliviana , crinita , melastomae , mixteca , scitula , terresi , and tysoni , but readily distinguished by the above traits as well as by various differences in sculpture and color.
Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 1.14, SL 0.52, EL 0.14, PW 0.48.
Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.66, SL 0.60, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.
color Major: concolorous medium yellow.
Minor: gaster dark yellow, rest of body medium yellow.
Range Reported by John T. Longino (1997) from the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica to 1100 m.
Biology According to Longino (1997), amabilis occurs in wet forest. Nests have been found in Cecropia sapling internodes, in foliar pouches of a myrmecophytic melastome, and in a dead stick in leaf litter. The colony in the dead stick was separated from a colony of Pheidole scrobifera by a plug of woody frass; fighting between the two species ensued when the plug was removed.
figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: Rio Penas Blancas, Alajuela, WWN 84AÃ‚Â°42 W, 800 m (J. T. Longino). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Specimen Data Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 24 times found in montane wet forest, 1 times found in wet forest, 1 times found in lowland rainforest, 1 times found in mesophil forest

Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 21 times Malaise, 1 times search, 2 times flight intercept trap, 1 times Sweeping, 1 times Berlese, 1 times MiniWinkler

Elevations: collected from 50 - 1100 meters, 485 meters average