Pheidole horribilis Wilson, 2003, new species

Pheidole horribilis new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L horribilis, dreadful, bristly, rough.

Diagnosis Similar to species listed in heading above, differing as follows.

Major: propodeal spines stout, over half as long as basal propodeal face anterior to them; posterior half of dorsal head surface carinulate and anterior half, including frontal lobes, mostly rugoreticulate; entire promesonotum rugoreticulate; anterior half of central strip of first gastral tergite shagreened; pilosity dense, erect to suberect, and long, most hairs as long as Eye Length or longer. Minor: propodeal spine as long as propodeal basal face; promesonotum and mesopleuron almost entirely rugoreticulate; occiput narrow, with nuchal crest, rugulose and not rugoreticulate; anterior half of central strip shagreened. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.88, HL 1.90, SL 0.84, EL 0.20, PW 0.94. Paratype minor: HW 0.80, HL 0.80, SL 0.86, EL 0.14, PW 0.56.

color Major: head and mesosoma rich medium reddish brown; waist, gaster, and appendages yellowish brown. Minor: body reddish yellow except for gaster, which is plain medium brown.

Range Known from the type colony as well as series collected at Yasuni National Park, Puerto Tiputini, Ecuador; and Cuzco Amazonico, near Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru.

Biology At Cuzco Amazonico, Peru, minor workers were found foraging on the ground and on top of a log in rainforest; one was carrying a termite worker (Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin). Winged queens were present in a nest at Yasuni National Park, Ecuador, in April (S. O'Donnell).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. ECUADOR: Jatun Sacha Biological Station, Misahuali (Peter Frumhoff). Scale bars = 1 mm.