Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus. Author Wilson, E. O. text 2003 Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/reference-full.html?id=20017 book 20017 Pheidole metana new species Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard. Etymology Named after the department of Colombia from which the type series originated. Diagnosis Major and minor: pilosity of mesosomal dorsum short, erect, and consisting mostly of pairs (see also angusticeps and meinerti ). Major: dorsum of head covered to occipital margin by longitudinal carinulae, which are faint and broken in the posterior half; rest of sculpturing consists solely of foveolation, covering all of the body except the gaster, which is entirely smooth and shiny. Minor: all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque; sculpturing otherwise entirely absent except for carinulae on margins of the frontal lobes; head narrowed posteriorly, but nuchal collar absent. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.80, SL 0.60, EL 0.12, PW 0.40. Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.52, SL 0.60, EL 0.08, PW 0.28. Color Major and minor: concolorous medium yellow. range Known from the type locality and from the Bogota-Villavicencio Road, Cundinamarca, 1100 m (Charles Kugler). Biology Winged queens were found in the Bogota-Villavicencio series on 1 May. Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Transecto Sumapaz, Meta, 920 m (T. van der Hammen). Scale bars = 1 mm.