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 rectispina
new species
Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.
etymology L
rectispina
, upright spine.
diagnosis Similar in various traits to
bilimeki
,
floridana
,
hazenae
,
rectiluma
,
rectisentis
, rectitrudis,
sospes
, and
stomachosa
, differing as follows.
Major: propodeal spine half as long as propodeal basal face and perpendicular to it; humeri low and subangulate; mesonotal convexity present; postpetiole from above elliptical, with angulate lateral margins; all of dorsal surface of head except occipital lobes, frontal triangle, and midclypeus carinulate; all of mesosoma and most of head and waist foveolate and opaque; anterior fringe of first gastral tergite shagreened.
Minor: propodeal spine half as long as the propodeal face and vertical on it; postpetiolar node somewhat depressed; occiput broad, its margin concave; all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque, no rugoreticulum and almost no carinulae.
Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.00, HL 1.14, SL 0.56, EL 0.14, PW 0.50.
Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.
Color Major: dark, even blackish brown.
Minor: body medium brown, appendages yellowish brown.
Range Atlantic slope of Costa Rica from lowlands to montane forest (Longino 1997); and Belize (Hummingbird Gap, near Stann; Stewart Peck).
biology Occurs on the floor of primary rainforest.
figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (E. O. Wilson). Scale bars = 1 mm.