Pheidole pygmaea Wilson, 2003, new species

Pheidole pygmaea new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L pygmaea, dwarf.

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

Major: yellow; eye large, oval, set far forward on head; head elongate; occipital cleft broad, deep, its nadir semicircular; propodeal spines reduced to right angles; propodeal spiracle large, as wide as base of spines; petiolar node tapers to a point; carinulae mesad to eyes extend almost halfway to occipital lobes; carinulae originating at rear of frontal lobes spread laterally, away from the midline; small patches of foveolae present on mesopleuron and petiolar peduncle, and mesosoma, waist, and gaster otherwise smooth and shiny.

Minor: eye very large, set far forward, tapered slightly toward anterior end; anterior half of head partly carinulate and foveolate, and entire remainder of head and body smooth and shiny.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.74, HL 0.90, SL 0.40, EL 0.10, PW 0.40. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.40, EL 0.08, PW 0.26. color Major: body dark yellow, appendages medium yellow. Minor: concolorous medium yellow.

Range Known from the type locality and from localities in Choco and Cundinamarca, Colombia.

biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: TV Tower Road, Saldido, west of Cali, Valle, 1900-2100 m (W. L. Brown and R. B. Root). Scale bars = 1 mm.