Pheidole godmani

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 698

Pheidole godmani Forel

Pheidole godmani Forel 1893J: 404

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology Named after F. D. Godman, organizer of the British Association and Royal Society survey of the biota of the Antilles.

Diagnosis A member of the tristis group, similar to the species listed in the heading above, and to lesser degree the species listed with them, distinguished as follows.

Major: reddish yellow; low, lobose subpostpetiolar process present; antennal scape short, its tip reaching the lateral border of the head in full-face view less than half the distance from eye to occipital corner; postpetiole from above cone-shaped; carinulae of head reaching two-thirds the distance from eye to occipital corner; humerus prominent, lobose, in dorsal-oblique view extending well above the low mesonotal convexity.

Minor: all of posterior dorsum of head and of entire dorsum of promesonotum transversely carinulate; semicircular carinulae fill the space between the antennal fossa and the eye.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.44, HL 1.52, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.64. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.66, SL 0.72, EL 0.12, PW 0.42.

Color Major: head and body light reddish yellow, except for postpetiole and gaster, which are medium reddish yellow with a brownish tinge.

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

Range Known from St. Vincent. This species, with its nearest known relatives in South America, may be an endemic of the island. If so, it is a threatened species; H. H. Smith, whose collecting on St. Vincent in the 1890s was notably thorough, found it only three times.

Biology P. godmani was found near streams in mountain forest at 460 m. One colony was discovered nesting beneath dead leaves, a second in soil under a log.

Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. St. Vincent, West Indies (H. H. Smith). Scale bars = 1 mm.