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 brandaoi
new species
Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.
Etymology Named in honor of the distinguished Brazilian myrmecologist C. Roberto F. Brandao.
diagnosis a unique yellow member of the
diligens
group similar to
perdiligens
and
radoszkowskii
, but distinguished from these and other species of the group as follows.
Major: with sparse pilosity on the mesosomal dorsum, including a pair of clavate hairs on the pronotum; pilosity on gastric tergites consisting of a carpet of short suberect pubescence in addition to longer erect to suberect hairs; no hairs on profde of head in full face except clypeus; mesosomal convexity very large, and subtriangular in side view; rugoreticula present between eyes and antennal fossae, and on anterior half of pronotum.
Minor: all of head, except frontal triangle, and most of mesosoma, foveolate and opaque; propodeal spines long and stout.
Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.96, HL 1.00, SL 0.70, EL 0.18, PW 0.52.
Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.66, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.
color Major: body and mandibles dark yellow, other appendages light yellow.
Minor: concolorous medium yellow.
Range Known only from the type locality.
Biology The type series was collected in lowland rainforest.
Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Mun. Buenaventura (Bajo Calima, Villa Clara), Valle (William L. Brown and Richard B. Root). Scale bars = 1 mm.