Pheidole purpurea

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Pheidole purpurea
Pheidole purpurea body.jpg
P. purpurea minor worker
photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Genus: Pheidole
Species:
P. purpurea
Binomial name
Pheidole purpurea
J. T. Longino, 2009

Pheidole purpurea is a dimorphic species of ant found in Mexico and Central America. [1] The species shows considerable variance in physical characteristics based on location, though some variance exists even within small populations. [2] Some populations display a metallic, purple sheen.

Contents

Dimorphic subdivision

Like many species of the genus Pheidole , P. purpurea is dimorphic, with workers visibly differentiated by head size and shape into "minor" and "major" (or soldier) workers. The head of the major worker can be as much as twice as long and more than twice as wide as that of the minor. [2]

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<i>Pheidole</i> Genus of ants

Pheidole is a genus of ants that belongs to the ant subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is widespread and ecologically dominant. It probably includes more than 1000 species. The genus first evolved in the Americas, eventually spreading across the globe.

<i>Pheidole harrisonfordi</i> Species of ant

Pheidole harrisonfordi is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. P. harrisonfordi lives in the Americas, mostly in neotropical countries such as Belize, Colombia, southern Mexico, Panama, Guatemala and other Central American nations. It primary lives in Santa Bárbara, Honduras 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. The ant also inhabits wet forest leaf litter at an elevation of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea-level. P. harrisonfordi was named after the actor Harrison Ford in honor of his work in tropical conservation. Minor workers have a head length of 0.41 millimetres (0.016 in) and a head width of 0.38 millimetres (0.015 in). The head of minor workers are flattened with the mesonotal suture absent. Major workers have a head length of 0.78 millimetres (0.031 in) and a width of 0.75 millimetres (0.030 in).

<i>Ulmus</i> Purpurea Elm cultivar

The elm cultivar Ulmus 'Purpurea', the purple-leaved elm, was listed and described as Ulmus Stricta Purpurea, the 'Upright Purpled-leaved Elm', by John Frederick Wood, F.H.S., in The Midland Florist and Suburban Horticulturist (1851), as Ulmus purpureaHort. by Wesmael (1863), and as Ulmus campestris var. purpurea, syn. Ulmus purpureaHort. by Petzold and Kirchner in Arboretum Muscaviense (1864). Koch's description followed (1872), the various descriptions appearing to tally. Henry (1913) noted that the Ulmus campestris var. purpureaPetz. & Kirchn. grown at Kew as U. montana var. purpurea was "probably of hybrid origin", Ulmus montana being used at the time both for wych elm cultivars and for some of the U. × hollandica group. His description of Kew's U. montana var. purpurea matches that of the commonly-planted 'Purpurea' of the 20th century. His discussion of it (1913) under U. campestris, however, his name for English Elm, may be the reason why 'Purpurea' is sometimes erroneously called U. procera 'Purpurea' (as in USA and Sweden.

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<i>Pheidole megacephala</i> Species of ant

Pheidole megacephala is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is commonly known as the big-headed ant in the US and the coastal brown ant in Australia. It is a very successful invasive species and is considered a danger to native ants in Australia and other places. It is regarded as one of the world's worst invasive ant species.

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<i>Chimaeridris</i> Genus of ants

Chimaeridris is a small genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus contains two species known from tropical Asia. Their unique hook-shaped mandibles and similar appearance to Pheidole minor workers raises the possibility that the genus is a slave-maker of Pheidole ants or a specialized predator.

<i>Acanthomyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Acanthomyrmex is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known from South East Asia. Its species are dimorphic, with major workers in some genera having heads twice the length than that of the minor workers. They live in small colonies and are rarely collected in the field. There are 17 species of Acanthomyrmex.

<i>Lenomyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Lenomyrmex is a Neotropical genus of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

Pheidole ragnax is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

Pheidole megatron is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

<i>Pheidole braueri</i> Species of ant

Pheidole braueri is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

<i>Pheidole jonas</i> Species of ant

Pheidole jonas is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

<i>Pheidole clavata</i> Species of ant

Pheidole clavata is a species of ant in the genus Pheidole. Pheidole clavata inhabits Eastern and Northern Africa. This species of Pheidole, like many others, are dimorphic, which means that a colony may contain one or several queens. Each colony is made up of two castes: the "minor" workers, and the "major" workers, or "soldiers". The majors have large heads that they use as both weapons and tools to cut open large prey for the colony. The latter generally have enormous heads and mandibles in comparison to their usually fairly modest body size.

<i>Pheidole xerophila</i> Species of ant

Pheidole xerophila is a species of ant and a higher myrmicine in the family Formicidae.

<i>Camponotus dumetorum</i> Species of ant

Camponotus dumetorum is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. This species belongs to the genus Camponotus, which is native to North America. They are related to other species from the subgenus Tanaemyremex in western North America such as C. semitestaceus and C. vicinus. C. dumetorum are primarily nocturnal and form undergrounds nests. Like other select ant species native to California, their populations have been displaced with the introduction of Argentine ants.

<i>Colobopsis</i> Genus of ant

Colobopsis is a genus of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. This genus was first described in 1861 by Mayr and contains 95 species. The type species is Colobopsis truncata.

References

  1. "Species: Pheidole purpurea". antweb.org. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  2. 1 2 Longino, J. T., 2009, Additions to the taxonomy of New World Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa (2181), pp. 1-90: 67-70 Archived 2013-04-15 at archive.today