Pheidole lovejoyi new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology Named after Thomas E. Lovejoy, distinguished field biologist and my host at Fazenda Dimona.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group, most similar to laniger (but also scan alienata, cardinalis, caribbaea, fallax, jelskii, lattkei, mantilla, obscurior, petrensis, puttemansi, rubiceps, roushae, susannae, tobini), distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: in full-face view, profde of head posterior to eyes fringed by short, subrecumbent hairs of uniform length; in side view, center of pronotal dorsal profile raised as a low convexity; petiolar peduncle slender, its dorsal border concave in side view; pronotal dorsum partly carinulate; anterior strip of first gastral tergite foveolate and opaque.

Minor: nuchal collar present; propodeal spine reduced to obtuse angle.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.42, HL 1.50, SL 1.04, EL 0.20, PW 0.66.

Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.64, SL 0.94, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

Color Major: head reddish brown, mesosoma plain medium brown, gaster and appendages plain light brown. Minor: head medium brownish yellow, appendages and rest of head medium brownish yellow.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology In lowland rainforest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Fazenda Dimona, Smithsonian Institution Field Station, 90 km north of Manaus, Amazonas (E. O. Wilson). Scale bars = 1 mm.