Pheidole tepicana

Pergande, 1896

Tepic Big-headed Ant

Pheidole tepicana is a of big-headed ant in the Pheidole, first described by Pergande in 1896. It belongs to the hyperdiverse genus Pheidole, which contains over 1,000 species and is characterized by its dimorphic . The species is found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, placing it within a region of high native ant diversity.

Pheidole tepicana by (c) Jake Nitta, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jake Nitta. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pheidole tepicana by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Pheidole tepicana: /faɪˈdoʊ.li tɛˈpi.kə.nə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Southwestern United States and Mexico

More Details

Taxonomic Context

Pheidole is one of the largest , with at least 1,000 in the New World alone. The genus is characterized by , with distinct major (soldier) and minor worker . Pheidole tepicana was described by Theodore Pergande in 1896.

Genus Characteristics

As a member of Pheidole, this possesses the defining trait of the : pronounced dimorphism with major workers (soldiers) bearing disproportionately large used for defense, food processing, and nest maintenance. Minor workers are smaller with proportionally sized heads and perform most foraging and care.