Pheidole setosa, FISCHER & GARCIA & PETERS, 2012

FISCHER, GEORG., GARCIA, FRANCISCO HITA & PETERS, MARCELL K., 2012, Taxonomy of the ant genus Pheidole Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical zoogeographic region: definition of species groups and systematic revision of the Pheidole pulchella group, Zootaxa 3232 (1), pp. 1-43 : 40-41

Pheidole setosa sp. n.

( Figures 69–71 )

Holotype: (minor worker) D.R. CONGO, Epulu, 01° 23' N, 28° 35' E, 750 m, xi.1995, Rainforest (S.D. Torti) ( CASC: CASENT0218297 ) . Paratype: (1 minor worker) same data as holotype ( CASC: CASENT0218298) .

Diagnosis: Color brown. Major unknown. Minor worker: head shape broadly elliptical (CI: 87–90), with relatively wide, slightly compressed posterior margin. In full-face view laterally projecting hairs present on head margin posterior of eye-level. Punctures in face variable, absent to superficial medially between eyes, stronger and more conspicuous in rest of face. Scape and metafemur moderately long (SI: 141–145, FI: 167–168), scape pilosity decumbent with additional erect to suberect hairs along outer edges. Metatibia pilosity appressed. Posterior and lateral pronotum smooth, rest of mesosoma with distinct punctures. Standing hairs coarse and moderately long and truncated, present on all dorsal surfaces.

Description of minor worker: Measurements (holotype): HL: 0.856, HW: 0.744, SL: 1.078, MDL: 0.578, EL: 0.178, MFL: 1.254, MTL: 0.989, WL: 1.133, PSL: 0.300, PTH: 0.178, PPH: 0.222, PTL: 0.367, PPL: 0.222, PTW: 0.122, PPW: 0.233, PW: 0.489; CI: 87, SI: 145, MDI: 78, PSLI: 35, PWI: 66, FI: 168, PpWI: 191, PpLI: 165

Measurements (n=1): HL: 0.867, HW: 0.778, SL: 1.100, MDL: 0.567, EL: 0.178, MFL: 1.302, MTL: 1.033, WL: 1.167, PSL: 0.267, PTH: 0.178, PPH: 0.233, PTL: 0.378, PPL: 0.211, PTW: 0.122, PPW: 0.233, PW: 0.511; CI: 90, SI: 141, MDI: 73, PSLI: 31, PWI: 66, FI: 167, PpWI: 191, PpLI: 172.

Head longer than wide (CI: 87–90), sides roundly convex, with in full-face view laterally projecting hairs posterior of eye-level. Posterior head margin broadly developed and compressed to almost flat and occipital carina narrow. Clypeus smooth, with conspicuous long median carina and short or inconspicuous submedian carinae. Frons smooth, hexagonally microsculptured. Weakly to conspicuously punctate areas posteriorly, about halfway between posterior eye-level and posterior head margin, laterally towards eyes and anteriorly towards malar space. Malar carinae ending at posterior eye-level. Scapes moderately long (SI: 141–145) with decumbent pilosity and with additional erect to suberect hairs along outer edge. Promesonotal outline angulate, dorsopronotum flat, pronotal and mesonotal declivities obtuse-angled, edges in lateral view almost straight and long. Second mesonotal process small, subangular and distinctly raised above level of dorsopropodeum. Metanotal groove conspicuous and dorsopropodeum flat. Spines relatively long and curved (PSLI: 31–35), about as long as height of posteropropodeum. Anterior dorsopronotum punctate, grading to smooth or superficially punctate posterodorsally and on posterior declivity. Lateropronotum mostly smooth, except superficial sculpture anteriorly and dorsally. Mesopleuron, metanotal process and propodeum uniformly punctate, except narrow, smooth strip between spines on dorsopropodeum. Metatibia with appressed to decumbent pilosity. Petiole and postpetiole weakly punctate laterally and ventrally, dorsum partly smooth and hexagonally micropunctate. Gaster smooth and shiny. Standing hairs stiff, of moderate length, apically truncated or split. Color brown.

Discussion: The description of Pheidole setosa is based on two minor workers from a single leaf-litter collection event in a rainforest in the D.R. Congo. The major is unknown. In habitus and amount of sculpture the minors are comparable to those of P. batrachorum , but the punctures in face and on dorsopronotum are much less distinct in P. setosa and the head is both, absolutely and relatively wider (CI: 87–90 [ P. setosa ] versus CI: 79–86 [ P. batrachorum ]). Scapes and legs are shorter in P. setosa than in P. batrachorum (SI: 141–145, FI: 167–168 versus SI: 152–172, FI: 172–196), the propodeal spines are significantly longer (PSLI: 31–35 versus PSLI: 21–29) and scape pilosity differs distinctly.

Figures

FIGURE 69 – 71 P. setosa sp. n.: full-face, lateral & dorsal view of minor worker (D. R. Congo, CASENT 0218298).