Pheidole rhea
| Pheidole rhea | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Pheidole |
| Species: | P. rhea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pheidole rhea Wheeler, 1908
| |
Pheidole rhea is a species of ant and a higher myrmicine in the family Formicidae.[1][2][3][4][5] It is common in grassy slopes and hills at the bases of mountains. [6]
Diet
[edit]Pheidole rhea is known to consume a variety of seeds, as well as various insects. [7]
Distribution
[edit]Pheidole rhea is found in the southwestern United States (especially Arizona) and Northwest Mexico. Habitat in Arizona is commonly grassy hills or lower parts of canyons. [6]
Behavior
[edit]Pheidole rhea forms large colonies with multiple castes which all aggressively defend the nest. Workers cannot sting, but majors and supermajors have giant mandibles/heads, used for fighting as well as cracking seeds. Bites are generally non-painful but can be irritating. Large trunks trails are formed to harvest seeds and insects from areas nearby the nest.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Pheidole rhea Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ "Pheidole rhea species details". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ "Pheidole rhea". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ "Pheidole rhea Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ "AntWeb". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
- ^ a b c "Pheidole rhea - AntWiki". www.antwiki.org. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ "Massive Big-Headed Ants (Pheidole rhea) Colonies For Sale". Stateside Ants. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
Further reading
[edit]- Bolton, B. (2016). "Catalogue of the Ants of the World" (PDF). unpublished communication. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Pheidole rhea at Wikimedia Commons
