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 peckorum
new species
Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.
Etymology Named in honor of the collectors, both distinguished entomologists and field researchers.
diagnosis A strikingly unique species within the
scrobifera
group and
Pheidole
in general.
Major: anterior two-thirds of the dorsal head surface covered by a dense felt of very short, exactly erect hairs of uniform length; antennal scrobe deep, extending posteriorly past the transverse midline of the head and devoid of sculpturing; head rectangular in fullface view, and all of the anterior three-fourths except the central piece of the clypeus and frontal triangle rugoreticulate. Minor: all of the anterior five-sixths of the head capsule dorsum, including the frontal lobes, rugoreticulate; humerus right-angular in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines very long.
Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.26, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.56, SL 0.50, EL 0.06, PW 0.34.
Color Major: body medium reddish brown except gaster which is light brown, appendages yellow. Minor: concolorous reddish yellow.
Range Known only from the type locality.
Biology Unknown.
Figure Upper: holotype, major (22 km southwest of Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador). Lower: paratype, minor (tentatively associated with holotype major; 25 km north of Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador, 1000 m). (Stewart B. Peck and Jarmila Kukalova-Peck.) Scale bars = 1 mm.