Pheidole vorax (Fabricius 1804)

Pheidole cephalica occurs in wet to moist forest habitats. It nests in dead wood on or near the ground. Workers recruit to dead insects and other baits, and also harvest seeds. Wilson (1987) demonstrated that minor workers were extremely sensitive to the presence of standing water. Even a few drops in the nest of a laboratory colony caused it to immediately evacuate the nest.

Mainland Neotropics from southern Mexico to Amazonian Brazil and Bolivia. Costa Rica: both slopes, to 900m elevation.

Formica vorax Fabricius, 1804 PDF: 412 (w.) CENTRAL AMERICA. Neotropic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Combination in Atta: Mayr, 1863a PDF: 397.Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b PDF: 30.Combination in Pheidole: Emery, 1915k PDF: 69.Status as species: Roger, 1862c PDF: 290; Roger, 1863b PDF: 30; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 397; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 108; Forel, 1895b PDF: 129; Emery, 1922c PDF: 110; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 204; Bolton, 1995b: 332; Longino, 2009 PDF: 85; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 260; Bezděčková et al., 2015 PDF: 121; Serna et al., 2019 PDF: 1042.[Note: this taxon is omitted from Wilson, 2003a.].Senior synonym of Pheidole opaca apterostigmoides: Longino, 2009 PDF: 86.Senior synonym of Pheidole cephalica: Longino, 2009 PDF: 85.Senior synonym of Pheidole opaca incrustata: Longino, 2009 PDF: 86.Senior synonym of Pheidole opaca: Longino, 2009 PDF: 85.Senior synonym of Pheidole opaca sarrita: Longino, 2009 PDF: 86.