Species: Pheidole xyston

Current Valid Name:

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2023)

Pheidole xyston Wilson, 2003a: 535, figs. (s.w.) MEXICO (Veracruz). Neotropic. Primary type information: Primary type material: holotype major worker. Primary type locality: Mexico: Veracruz, 7 km. N Huatusco, 1280 m. (A. Newton). Primary type depository: MCZC. Secondary type information: Secondary type material: 1 paratype minor worker. Secondary type locality: same as for holotype. Secondary type depository: MCZC. Type notes: Details of paratype castes and their numbers are not given. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Status as species: Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 260; Longino, 2019 doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4599.1.1 PDF: 78.

// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
    Americas: Guatemala, Mexico
  Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
    Neotropical

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Treatment Citation: Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Pheidole xystonHNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Gr xystonHNS, shaft of a spear, referring to the long propodeal spine of the minor.

Diagnosis Similar to ceibanaHNS, lemniscaHNS, peltastesHNS, perkinsiHNS, renaeHNS, and tayronaHNS, distinguished in the major by the rugoreticulate occiput, shallowly concave posterior cephalic profile, cornulate humerus, and posteriorly curving propodeal spine; and in the minor by the toothed humerus and relatively long, straight propodeal spine.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.70, HL 0.78, SL 0.44, EL 0.10, PW 0.40.

Paratype minor: HW 0.42, HL 0.42, SL 0.40, EL 0.06, PW 0.26.

Color Major: mandibles and body medium brown, rest of appendages yellowish brown.

Range Known only from the type series and from a second series collected 11 km north of San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, at 1400 m (P. S. Ward).

Biology Philip Ward took the San Andres Tuxtla series from a rotten log in cloud forest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. MEXICO: 7 km north of Huatusco, Veracruz, 1280 m (A. Newton). Scale bars = 1 mm.

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 78 times found in montane wet forest, 37 times found in cloud forest, 32 times found in 2ndary liquidambar forest, 12 times found in 2nd mesophyl forest, 6 times found in 2nd growth forest, 6 times found in mixed hardwood forest, 2 times found in lowland rainforest, 1 times found in montane rainforest, 4 times found in 2ndary wet forest, 4 times found in mature wet forest, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 134 times ex sifted leaf litter, 50 times at bait, 5 times forest litter, 3 times ex sifted litter, 1 times ex rotten log, 1 times nest in dead stem, 1 times beating vegetation, 1 times rotten treebase litter.

Collected most commonly using these methods: 96 times miniWinkler, 41 times baiting, 26 times maxiWinkler, 13 times Winkler, 9 times bait, 5 times Berlese, 2 times litter sample, 1 times beating, 1 times search.

Elevations: collected from 760 - 1800 meters, 1174 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1973-07-29 00:00:00.0 and 2019-06-14 00:00:00.0

Type specimens: paratype Pheidole xyston: jtlc000016575, jtlc000016576

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Citing AntWeb

Species: Pheidole xyston Wilson, 2003

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