Pheidole purpurea

Pheidole purpurea is a dimorphic species of ant found in Mexico and Central America.[1] The species shows considerable variance in physical characteristics based on location, though some variance exists even within small populations.[2] Some populations display a metallic, purple sheen.

Pheidole purpurea
P. purpurea minor worker photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Genus:	Pheidole
Species:	P. purpurea
Binomial name
Pheidole purpurea J. T. Longino, 2009

Dimorphic subdivision

Like many species of the genus Pheidole, P. purpurea is dimorphic, with workers visibly differentiated by head size and shape into "minor" and "major" (or soldier) workers. The head of the major worker can be as much as twice as long and more than twice as wide as that of the minor.[2]

Minor and major workers of P. purpurea

• 
  Minor worker
  photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org
• 
  Minor worker, top
  photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org
• 
  Major worker
  photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org
• 
  Major worker, top
  photograph by John T. Longino and www.antweb.org

References

1. "Species: Pheidole purpurea". antweb.org. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
2. Longino, J. T., 2009, Additions to the taxonomy of New World Pheidole (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa (2181), pp. 1-90: 67-70 Archived 2013-04-15 at Archive.today

External links

• Media related to Pheidole purpurea at Wikimedia Commons