Current View: Bolton World Catalog

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Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2023)

// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
    Americas: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, United States
  Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
    Nearctic, Neotropical

Distribution Notes:

Southern Mexico to southern Brazil.

Biology:

This species occurs in open areas and synanthropic habitats. It has been collected at baits during the day or night, and as nocturnal foragers.

Comments:

This species appears to have a broad range, as often occurs in species favoring synanthropic habitats, but it is also infrequently collected and, among the few collections, shows a high degree of variability.

Collections by W. M. Wheeler at Cartago, Costa Rica, have the major worker scapes flattened at the base, the scapes are relatively short (SI 73), and the first gastral tergum has a cluster of about ten long erect setae anteriorly, underlain by fully appressed sparse pubescence, individual setae of which are about as long as distance among them. Specimens collected by Trager at CATIE, a site near Turrialba and only 30km from Cartago, have majors with thinner scape bases, longer scapes (SI 81), and the first gastral tergum with about five long erect setae and the underlying appressed pubescence much sparser, the individual setae of which are much further apart than their length. A collection from a dry forest site in lowland Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica, is very similar to the Cartago specimens, with major worker scapes flattened, SI 67, and similar underlying pubescence. Collections from southern Mexico (Sierra Madre de Chiapas) have major worker with flattened scapes, but the scapes are relatively long (SI 82) and the pubescence on the gaster is subdecumbent rather than fully appressed. DNA barcoding data unites specimens from Chiapas and Guanacaste. The types of P. pubiventris, from southern Brazil, have the major worker scape somewhat flattened (more so than illustration in Wilson 2003:218), intermediate between the Cartago and CATIE collections from Costa Rica. Based on Wilson's measurements, scapes are relatively short, SI 75. No observations were made on the pilosity of the gaster. The types of Emery's P. variegata, from San José, Costa Rica, were not examined, but Wilson's illustration (2003:245) and measurements suggest a form with narrow scape bases and scapes relatively long (SI 84), perhaps similar to the CATIE collection. Finally, the lectotype major worker of Forel's P. indistincta, from "Costa Rica," is identical to Wheeler's Cartago collections. This was an early collection by Tonduz, and was probably from the same population in Costa Rica's central valley.

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 2 times found in scrubby dry for., stream edge, 4 times found in 2º lowland rainforest, 1 times found in road edge in mesophyl forest, 1 times found in sendero natural, 1 times found in dry forest, 1 times found in 2º mesophil forest, 1 times found in coffee farm, Moderate shade, 1 times found in primary rainforest.

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 3 times at bait, 1 times foragers at bait, 3 times beating vegetation, 2 times at tuna bait, 1 times ex sifted leaf litter.

Collected most commonly using these methods: 4 times bait, 3 times search, 3 times Beating, 1 times Baiting, 1 times MiniWinkler.

Elevations: collected from 50 - 1990 meters, 868 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1895-03-01 00:00:00.0 and 2011-01-01 00:00:00.0

Type specimens: Lectotype of Pheidole pubiventris variegata: casent0904337; Lectotype Pheidole indistincta: jtlc000014085; Lectotype/paralectotype of Pheidole pubiventris: casent0919753, casent0922211; paralectotype of Pheidole pubiventris variegata: casent0904338; syntype of Pheidole pubiventris: casent0901569, casent0901570; syntype of Pheidole pubiventris nevadensis: casent0901603, casent0901604; syntype of Pheidole pubiventris cearensis: casent0908234, casent0908235; syntype of Pheidole pubiventris nevadensis: casent0908232, casent0908233; syntype of Pheidole pubiventris timmii: casent0908236, casent0908237; type of Pheidole pubiventris: focol1549, focol1550, focol1551

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