Pheidole tsontekonwei Longino 2019, new species

Pheidole tsontekonwei new species

(Plate 56)

Pheidole JTL-203: morphospecies code previously used on AntWeb.

HOLOTYPE: 1 major worker, Mexico, Guerrero: Oapan, 17.97725 -99.46567 ± 20 m, 742 m, 26-Jun-2011, nest in soil (J. Amith & J. Herrera) [UNAM, unique specimen identifier CASENT0624331]. PARATYPES: major, minor workers: same data as holotype [CAS, DZUP, JTLC, MCZC, UNAM, USNM].

Geographic range. Mexico (Guerrero).

Diagnosis. Minor: head subquadrate in full face view; face with patchy, faint foveolation, overlain with sparse longitudinal carinulae; promesonotal groove absent; mesosoma generally smooth and shining, with patches of very faint foveolation; propodeal spines thin, upturned, about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gaster smooth and shining; mesosomal dorsum and gaster with abundant, short, erect setae; tibiae without erect setae; color light yellow brown. Major: inner hypostomal teeth lacking; scape base terete; face with fine longitudinal carinulae on anterior third to half, transverse medial band smooth and shiny, vertex lobes with abundant transverse rugulae; propodeal spines short, upturned, about one third length of posterior face of propodeum; gastral dorsum smooth and shining; pilosity on sides of head very short, suberect, other pilosity similar to minor worker.

Measurements, minor worker: HW 0.77, HL 0.89, SL 0.85, EL 0.19, WL 1.19, PSL 0.09, PTW 0.14, PPW 0.26, CI 87, SI 110, PSLI 11, PPI 191 (n=5).

Measurements, major worker: HW 2.56, HL 2.58, SL 1.06, EL 0.30, WL 1.91, PSL 0.13, PTW 0.37, PPW 0.76, CI 99, SI 42, PSLI 5, PPI 208 (n=5).

Biology. This species was collected by Jonathan Amith during his ethnographic studies in coastal Guerrero, Mexico. It is a large seed harvesting ant that nests in the soil. Amith noted that the entrance of nest was a short, upright, hollow cylinder of white powdery material.

Comments. In Economo et al. (2019, as JTL203), this species is related to P. pilifera and other seed harvesting species of the arid southwest of North America. Although not strictly within the geographic scope of this work, this was an opportunity to name this highly distinctive species and to facilitate Amith's ethnographic work in the region.

Etymology: The name means "big head" in Nahuatl (J. Amith, pers. com.).