In Costa Rica, this species is common in open, disturbed habitats. In Corcovado National Park, it is restricted to the narrow strip of vegetation along the beach (collections from beach edge at San Pedrillo, Llorona, and Sirena, but none from further inland, despite extensive collecting at Sirena, Los Patos, and Los Planes). One nest was observed in a rotten coconut on the ground. In Santa Rosa National Park, a nest was observed under a stone. Near Guacimal, on the road to Monteverde, a nest was observed in a rotten fencepost in full sun. In Monteverde, the species can be an abundant house pest. Workers were collected from a sifted leaf litter sample from the canopy of an emergent Ficus in cloud forest, but these were conceivably contaminants from the house where the Winkler bags were hung. However, workers were collected recruiting to a dead cricket on a road not far from this Ficus. At Fila Cruces, near San Vito, a nest was observed under a stone along a road edge.
Two examples illustrate the synanthropic habitat preference of this species. Workers were collected as pests in the Eladio Cruz house in Penas Blancas, a remote valley east of Monteverde. This species has never been collected in the surrounding clearings or forest, despite extensive collecting. Thus it was probably brought to the house from Monteverde. A similar situation pertains at La Selva Biological Station: the species has been collected as a pest ant entering the ALAS building in the laboratory clearing, but has not been collected in the surrounding forest, in spite of intensive sampling effort.
Longino observed this species in Jamaica. One colony was observed under a bromeliad base on a horizontal dead log. Another was observed in second growth montane forest, under a stone in the trail.
Wilson (2005) observed that P. bilimeki and two other species of small Pheidole (flavens and nebulosa) frequently prey on oribatid mites in the leaf litter.
Mexico to northern South America, Greater Antilles. Costa Rica: widespread.
Taxonomic history
Status as species: Mayr, 1887 PDF: 584 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 88; Forel, 1899b PDF: 70; Emery, 1922c PDF: 109; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 187; Bolton, 1995b: 318; Wilson, 2003a: 378 (redescription); Coovert, 2005 PDF: 55; Longino, 2009 PDF: 16; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 40; Boer, 2010: 61; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 259; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35 (redescription); Serna et al., 2019 PDF: 926.Senior synonym of Pheidole punctatissima annectens: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 40; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole floridana antoniensis: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole floridana ares: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole anastasii cellarum: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole floridana deplanata: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole punctatissima insulana: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole anastasii johnsoni: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole lauta: Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole rectiluma: Longino, 2009 PDF: 16; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.Senior synonym of Pheidole anastasii venezuelana: Wilson, 2003a: 378; Longino & Cox, 2009 PDF: 41; Sarnat et al., 2015 10.3897/zookeys.543.6050 PDF: 35.
