Pheidole praeses, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 735

Pheidole praeses new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L praeses , guard, protector.

diagnosis Similar to guilelmimuelleri (see also antillana , bucculenta , heyeri , hortonae , rhytifera ; and mamore in the scrobifera group), differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: very large, humerus very prominent and subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; mesonotal convexity flattened, its anterior edge subangulate; very shallow antennal scrobes present; a tiny patch of rugoreticulum exists laterad to each antennal fossa.

Minor: occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar; transverse carinulae circling most of the posterior half of the head capsule and covering all of the pronotal dorsum; posterior half of mesopleuron and sides of propodeum longitudinally carinulate.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 2.28, HL 2.34, SL 1.08, EL 0.24, PW 1.02.

Paratype minor: HW 0.82, HL 0.92, SL 1.12, EL 0.16, PW 0.56.

color Major: overall reddish yellow; anterior fourth of head and mandibles increasingly dark in an anterior direction, so that the mandibles are light reddish brown. Minor: concolorous dark yellow.

Range Known from the type locality and Santa Tereza, Espirito Santo, 700 m, Brazil.

biology The species occurs in montane rainforest. The Boraceia Biological Station series contains an ordinary queen, but that from Santa Tereza is accompanied by a large ergatogyne.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Boraceia Biological Station, Mun. Salesopolis, Sao Paulo, 850 m (W. L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.