Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus.
Author
Wilson, E. O.
text
2003
Harvard University Press
Cambridge, MA, USA
http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/reference-full.html?id=20017
book
20017
Pheidole laevifrons Mayr
Pheidole laevifrons Mayr
1887: 598.
types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.
etymology L
laevifrons
, smooth or polished front, presumably alluding to the mostly smooth, shiny dorsum of the head of both castes.
Diagnosis A small, yellow member of the
diligens
group, distinguished as follows.
Major: cephalic sculpturing limited to the anterior third of the head, level with and anterior to the eyes; moderately abundant pilosity; relatively short propodeal spines. Close to
peregrina
, but major with much shallower occipital cleft in frontal view, thinner petiolar peduncle and node in side view, and more mesad placement of cephalic rugoreticulum.
Minor: thicker propodeal spines and longer scapes. Also similar to
triconstricta
but with much denser pilosity, shallower occipital cleft, and bilobous as opposed to trilobous promesonotal profile in dorsal-oblique view.
See also the less similar
coffeicola
,
pubiventris
,
seeldrayersi
, and
variegata
.
measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.06, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.54.
Paralectotype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.
Color Major and minor: concolorous yellow.
range Known only from the type series.
Biology Unknown.
Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. BRAZIL: Santa Catarina. Scale bars = 1 mm.