Pheidole cuevasi, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 280

Pheidole cuevasi new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Named after John de Cuevas, friend, author, and field companion.

diagnosis A member of the " jujuyensis complex" of the larger fallax group, comprising araneoides , cuevasi , durionei , jujuyensis , kugleri , leonina , leptina , lucretii , lupus , paraensis , punctithorax , tijucana , wallacei , and wolfringi , which complex is characterized in both major and minor by slender body form and exceptionally long antennal scapes and petiolar pedicels; also in the major by a proportionately small head; and in the minor by a strongly developed nuchal collar. P. cuevasi is distinguished as follows. Major: rugoreticulum covering all the dorsal surface of the head except the occipital lobes, frontal lobes, and middle of clypeus; antennal scapes just reach the occipital corners; pronotal dorsum partly covered by transverse carinulae; first gastral tergite entirely smooth and shiny.

Minor: occipital neck extremely drawn out, and nuchal collar prominent; propodeal spines reduced to denticles. Both castes reddish yellow.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.56, HL 1.62, SL 1.32, EL 0.22, PW 0.80. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 1.04, SL 1.58, EL 0.20, PW 0.44.

Color Major: body and mandibles reddish yellow ("orange") to very light reddish brown. Minor: reddish yellow ("light orange").

Range In addition to the Peruvian type series, I have seen series collected near Diamantino, Mato Grosso, and Benjamin Constant, Amazonas, Brazil (W. L. Brown).

biology The type series was reared by Stefan Cover (personal communication) from an incipient colony found in terra firme rainforest at Cuzco Amazonico, Peru, and nesting in a large, crumbling dead log.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. PERU: Cuzco Amazonico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios (Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin). Scale bars = 1 mm.