Pheidole meinerti

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 616

Pheidole meinerti Forel

Pheidole meinerti Forel 1905e: 159. Syn.: Pheidole mimula Wheeler 1916c: 5, n. syn.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology Named after the collector F. Meinert.

Diagnosis Major: pilosity of mesosomal dorsum sparse, comprising four or so pairs of short erect hairs; entire head, mesosoma, waist foveolate and opaque; other sculpturing limited to longitudinal carinulae on anterior half of head; anterior fifth of median strip of first gastric tergite shagreened, and remainder of gaster smooth and shiny.

Minor: pilosity of dorsa of mesosoma and waist sparse, consisting of a small number of short, erect pairs of setae, some of which are clavate; some hairs on rear third of head also clavate; occiput narrow, with thin nuchal collar. Measurements (mm) Holotype ofmeinerti major: HW 0.78, HL 0.78, SL 0.56, EL 0.10, PW 0.36. Minor (Cuzco Amazonico, near Puerto Maldonado, Peru): HW 0.42, HL 0.48, SL 0.56, EL 0.08, PW 0.26. color Major and minor: concolorous yellow.

Range Known from single records each from Venezuela, Guyana, and Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

biology At Cuzco Amazonico, neaT Maldonado, Peru, Stefan Cover and John Tobin found meinerti in mature terra firme forest and forest transitional between terra fume and seasonally flooded forest. The species appears to be adapted to unstable nest sites on the ground. Two of the colonies were between dead leaves in the leaf litter, and one was in a rotten stick on the surface of the litter. Colonies were small, consisting of 100 workers or less, and a single queen. Cover (personal communication) notes that both majors and minors have long legs and antennae, move very rapidly, and are not aggressive when the nests are disturbed. In this respect they resemble auriger , aripoensis , cataractae , and demeter . Possibly these are traits that represent a guild of opportunistic, frequently emigrating ground nesters.

Figure Upper: major (syntype of synonymous mimula ); right hind femur depicted at bottom. Lower: minor (syntype of synonymous mimula ). GUYANA: Tukeit. (Type locality: La Moka, Venezuela; F. Meinert.) Scale bars = 1 mm.