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Current Valid Name:

Pheidole plebecula

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2022)

// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions: Not found on any curated Geolocale/Taxon lists.

Distribution Notes:

Southern Mexico to Costa Rica, French Guiana.

Biology:

This species occurs in wet forest habitats. Workers are common on the ground and on low vegetation. They readily recruit to baits, and major workers are often at baits with minor workers. Nests are in soil, with a simple gallery leading to a chamber about 10cm deep. Two nests that have been excavated contained single queens.

Comments:

Specimens from the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica are red brown, corresponding to the types of Wilson's P. texticeps, and specimens from the Osa Peninsula are yellow, corresponding to Wilson's P. perdiligens. Specimens from southern Mexico are yellow, like the Osa form. Other than color, these forms are indistinguishable.

DNA barcoding data show that texticeps and Central American brandaoi share very similar COI haplotypes. Pheidole texticeps minors and majors have shiny faces; minors and majors of brandaoi have foveolate faces. Pheidole texticeps is either dark brown or yellow; brandaoi is yellow. The ranges of the two forms are overlapping but interdigitated, with no known zones of sympatry.

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

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