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Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2017)

Distribution:

(based on species list records)
Neotropical Region: Alta Verapaz, Americas, Baja Verapaz, Belize, Cayo, Central America, Chiapas, Cortés, El Progreso, Guatemala, Honduras, Huehuetenango, Jalapa, Mexico, Oaxaca, Quetzaltenango, Quiché, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Zacapa

Distribution Notes:

Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, Belize, Honduras.

Biology:

This species is a montane specialist, ocurring in cloud forest habitats from 1300-2750m elevation. Nests are in the soil and under stones. Foragers, including major workers, come to baits on the forest floor, and workers are collected in Berlese and Winkler samples. Alate queens were collected 11 July 2007, at Cerro Huitepec in Chiapas. Males remain unknown.

Comments:

The type major worker of P. deceptrix has the median and rear portion of the face with shallow foveolate sculpture overlain with sparse rugulae, and the postpetiole in dorsal view is trapezoidal. The associated minor worker has the face and mesosoma uniformly and densely foveolate. The type major worker of P. variceps has similar sculpture on the face but it fades posteriorly, leaving the vertex lobes smooth and shiny. The postpetiole in dorsal view is more transverse, with more acutely angulate sides. The minor worker has the face and mesosoma with a mix of smooth shiny areas and patches of faint foveolate sculpture. However, multiple collections from additional localities show continuous variation between these two forms. The variation is geographically structured, such that multiple collections from the same site show little variation compared to differences among sites. Longino interprets this as one polytypic species with slightly different forms in different mountain ranges.

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 221 times found in cloud forest, 53 times found in mesophyll forest, 35 times found in 2ndary liquidambar forest, 24 times found in lowland rainforest, 16 times found in 2nd growth forest, 11 times found in mesophil forest, 13 times found in cloud forest at night, 6 times found in pasture near cloud forest, 6 times found in edge of cloud forest, 4 times found in riparian forest, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 222 times ex sifted leaf litter, 201 times at bait, 12 times forest litter, 7 times beating vegetation, 1 times under epiphytes, 2 times under rock, 1 times leaf litter forest floor, 2 times nest under rock, 1 times nest in soil of cave mouth, 1 times nest in clay bank, 1 times ex live stem, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 200 times Baiting, 167 times MiniWinkler, 23 times search, 14 times Berlese, 17 times MaxiWinkler, 14 times Winkler, 13 times Night MiniWinkler, 6 times Berlese/Winkler, 4 times bait, 7 times Beating, 4 times Maxi Winkler, ...

Elevations: collected from 380 - 3180 meters, 1521 meters average

Type specimens: Holotype of Pheidole deceptrix: casent0901595; Lectotype major Pheidole deceptrix: jtlc000015315; paratype Pheidole chiapasana: jtlc000016345; paratype Pheidole variceps: jtlc000016568; syntype minor Pheidole deceptrix: jtlc000015320

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