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Species: Pheidole protensa
Name Status:
Taxonomic Hierarchy:
Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: PheidoleTaxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2013)
Distribution:
Mexico (type locality), Nicaragua, Costa Rica. Costa Rica: Atlantic lowlands.
Biology:
Natural History:Wilson (2003) describes the range as "Known from the type series; from near Cuichapa, Veracruz, 1600 m; and from Tuli Creek, near San Miguel, Nicaragua." Wilson states "In Veracruz, protensa has been found in both lowland rainforest and in montane cafetals, i.e., forest with coffee." The first Costa Rica record is from La Selva Biological Station. Steve Yanoviak collected minor workers and soldiers at a bait near STR400, while participating in the 2004 ant course.
Taxon Page Author History
Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)
Etymology L protensa , stretched out, referring to the somewhat elongate head of the major.
Diagnosis A very small, yellow member of the flavens group, distinguished in the major by an elongated head entirely covered dorsally with longitudinal carinulae, which grow faint and curve inwardly in the posterior third of the head to converge toward and meet at the midline, becoming horizontal near the occiput.
Major: also with broken transverse carinulae on pronotal dorsum; a small but distinct mesonotal convexity; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; and a large propodeal spiracle.
Minor: all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque; propodeal spines reduced to denticles. Similar to browni , casta , mera , olsoni , and prolixa , but easily distinguished by the above traits. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.60, HL 0.82, SL 0.34, EL 0.10, PW 0.32. Paratype minor: HW 0.38, HL 0.44, SL 0.34, EL 0.06, PW 0.36. Color Major and minor concolorous medium yellow.
Range Known from the type series; from near Cuichapa, Veracruz, 1600 m; and from Tuli Creek, near San Miguel, Nicaragua.
biology In Veracruz, protensa has been found in both lowland rainforest and in montane cafetals, i.e., forest with coffee.
figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. MEXICO: Las Hamacas, 17 km north of Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz (E. O. Wilson). Scale bars = 1 mm.
Specimen Data Summary
Found most commonly in these habitats: 208 times found in tropical rainforest, 122 times found in tropical wet forest, 67 times found in mature wet forest, 23 times found in montane wet forest, 33 times found in lowland wet forest, 31 times found in 2º lowland rainforest, 30 times found in riparian forest in ravine, 15 times found in riparian forest, 14 times found in 2º wet forest, 15 times found in tropical moist forest, ...
Collected most commonly using these methods or in the following microhabitats: 337 times Baiting, 188 times MiniWinkler, 49 times MaxiWinkler, 13 times bait, 6 times Winkler, 8 times Night MiniWinkler, 4 times search, 2 times Beating, 2 times FIT
Elevations: collected from 30 - 1980 meters, 426 meters average
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Specimens for this species
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