''Pheidole loki'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ant in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Myrmicinae Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and ...

Description

Majors for this possibly rare species could not be found and thus remain undescribed. ''Pheidole loki'' is most probably closely allied to ''P. jonas'' and '' P. vulcan'' and characterized by reduced sculpture and an intermediate amount of standing hairs, compared to these two species. Overall it resembles ''P. jonas'' more than ''P. vulcan'', at least in habitus,

morphometric Morphometrics (from Greek μορϕή ''morphe'', "shape, form", and -μετρία ''metria'', "measurement") or morphometry refers to the quantitative analysis of ''form'', a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are co ...

measurements, and promesonotum and postpetiole shape. The minor workers of ''P. jonas'', however, display a more strongly punctate sculpture, less abundant and less flexuous standing hairs, and on average slightly shorter scapes than ''P. loki'', the postpetiole on average as long as wide versus longer than wide in ''P. loki''. With all these easily visible differences between the minor workers of the two species, especially their very distinct pilosity patterns, the chance that ''P. loki'' is a morphologically aberrant conspecific of ''P. jonas'' is probably small.

Distribution and habitat

First described in 2013, two specimens of ''Pheidole loki'' were collected in forest

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that have fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent ...

in 470 and 630 m elevation on Mt. Combani and Mt. Benara,

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...

, where it occurs in

sympatry In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...

with '' P. jonas''.

References

loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...

Insects described in 2013 {{myrmicinae-stub