Pheidole iracunda, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 712

Pheidole iracunda new species

TYPES Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L iracunda , wrathful, inclined to anger.

Diagnosis A member of the tristis group characterized by the following combination of traits.

Major: parts of sides of head covered by loose rugoreticulum, which becomes indistinct toward occiput; humeri and postpetiolar node seen from above cornulate; faint antennal scrobes present, their surfaces mostly bare.

Minor: propodeal spine reduced to an obtuse angle; body entirely smooth and shiny except for transverse carinulae that cover most of the dorsal surface of the mesosoma, and several carinulae on anterior half of dorsal surface of head, one of which loops on each side of the head in a semicircle from the end of the frontal lobe to the anterior clypeal border; nuchal collar absent.

Very similar to arachnion of Costa Rica but differing in details in the characters just cited.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.66, HL 1.76, SL 0.72, EL 0.20, PW 0.84.

Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.64, SL 0.74, EL 0.12, PW 0.44.

Color Major: body dark reddish brown, appendages light reddish brown.

Minor: most of body yellowish brown, gaster a slightly contrasting medium brown, appendages a lighter shade of yellowish brown.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology Three colonies were found at La Selva Biological Station nesting in rotten twigs. Two nests were on the floor of lowland rainforest, the third on the grassy, shaded floor of an arboretum adjacent to the forest. The colonies comprised fewer than 100 workers, and in two cases, a single queen. Seeds were found in one of the nests.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Stefan Cover). Scale bars = 1 mm.