Pheidole rudigenis Emery, 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 498

Pheidole rudigenis Emery , new status

Pheidole flavens subsp. rudigenis Emery 1906c: 155. Syn.: Pheidole bucolica Santschi 1929d: 289, n. syn. (provisional).

types Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova.

Etymology L rudigenis , rough cheek, referring to sculpturing of head.

Diagnosis Similar to species listed in heading above, differing as follows.

Major: shallow antennal scrobes present; occipital lobes and humeri rugoreticulate; dorsal surfaces of head and pronotum otherwise carinulate; dorsal promesonotal profile elevated, strongly convex, mesonotal convexity subangulate; propodeal spines half the length of the propodeal dorsal face; postpetiolar node from above diamond-shaped.

Minor: space between eye and antennal fossa, as well as anterior third of promesonotal dorsum, rugoreticulate; entire head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque; propodeal spines half as long as propodeal basal face; occiput broad and convex.

(The holotype of bucolica , placed in provisional synonymy, differs from the rudigenis lectotype in its oval postpetiole, as depicted, and more strongly rugulose genae; given its distant origin, in Para, it may be a distinct species.)

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.02, SL 0.56, EL 0.14, PW 0.50.

Paralectotype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.60, SL 0.52, EL 0.08, PW 0.36.

color Major: head, mesosoma, and waist light reddish brown; gaster and antennae medium brownish yellow; legs light brownish yellow.

Minor: head and mesosoma medium yellowish brown; waist, gaster, and appendages light yellowish brown.

Range In addition to the types, I have seen a series from Itaunas, Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The holotype of synonymous bucolica is from Monte Alegre, Para, in Amazonian Brazil, an anomalous record for the species.

Biology The Itaunas series was collected by R. Paiva inside a nest of a giant ponerine ant, Dinoponera sp.; the relationship, if any, is unknown.

figure Upper: lectotype, major (second, lower outline of postpetiole dorsum is of synonymous bucolica holotype). Lower: paralectotype, minor. ARGENTINA: San Pedro, Misiones. Scale bars = 1 mm.