Pheidole alienata Borgmeier, 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 264

Pheidole alienata Borgmeier , new status

Pheidole bergi subsp. alienata Borgmeier 1929: 205.

Types Mus. Zool. Univ. Sao Paulo.

Etymology L alienata , estranged, maddening; allusion unknown.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group, close to bergi and possibly only a variant of it; also similar to aenescens , cordiceps , chrysops , midas , and nesiota . P. alienata is distinguished as follows.

Major: carinulae of dorsum of head extend more than halfway from level of eye to occiput; pronotum completely covered by transverse carinulae, and foveolate and opaque in the interspaces; humerus in dorsal-oblique view prominent, rising 2X higher above the level of the propodeum as the mesonotal convexity. Minor: propodeal spine long, needle-like.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.52, HL 1.60, SL 0.94, EL 0.22, PW 0.78. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.84, SL 1.00, EL 0.18, PW 0.48. Color Major: concolorous light reddish brown.

Minor: appendages and body brownish yellow except for the gaster, which is plain medium brown.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology Unknown.

figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. BRAZIL: Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro. Scale bars = 1 mm.