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 godmani
Forel
Pheidole godmani
Forel 1893J: 404
Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.
Etymology Named after F. D. Godman, organizer of the British Association and Royal Society survey of the biota of the Antilles.
Diagnosis A member of the
tristis
group, similar to the species listed in the heading above, and to lesser degree the species listed with them, distinguished as follows.
Major: reddish yellow; low, lobose subpostpetiolar process present; antennal scape short, its tip reaching the lateral border of the head in full-face view less than half the distance from eye to occipital corner; postpetiole from above cone-shaped; carinulae of head reaching two-thirds the distance from eye to occipital corner; humerus prominent, lobose, in dorsal-oblique view extending well above the low mesonotal convexity.
Minor: all of posterior dorsum of head and of entire dorsum of promesonotum transversely carinulate; semicircular carinulae fill the space between the antennal fossa and the eye.
Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.44, HL 1.52, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.64. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.66, SL 0.72, EL 0.12, PW 0.42.
Color Major: head and body light reddish yellow, except for postpetiole and gaster, which are medium reddish yellow with a brownish tinge.
Minor: head and mesosoma medium yellowish brown; waist, gaster, and appendages a slightly contrasting light yellowish brown.
Range Known from St. Vincent. This species, with its nearest known relatives in South America, may be an endemic of the island. If so, it is a threatened species; H. H. Smith, whose collecting on St. Vincent in the 1890s was notably thorough, found it only three times.
Biology
P. godmani
was found near streams in mountain forest at 460 m. One colony was discovered nesting beneath dead leaves, a second in soil under a log.
Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. St. Vincent, West Indies (H. H. Smith). Scale bars = 1 mm.