Pheidole gertrudae

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 537

Pheidole gertrudae Forel

Pheidole gertrudae Forel 1886b: xiii. Syn.: Megalomyrmex humilis Borgmeier 1930: 35, synonymy by Kempf 1960f: 463. Pheidole gertrudae var. leonhardi Forel 1901m: 62, n. syn.; Pheidole gertrudae var. loretensis Santschi 1933f: 108, n. syn.

Types Mus. Nat. Hist. Geneve.

Etymology Named in honor of Gertrude Naegeli.

diagnosis With the distinctive qualities of the gertrudae group: propodeal spines greatly reduced to absent in major, absent in minor; propodeal spiracle extremely large; entire body mostly smooth and shiny. Differs from other members of group ( capillata , jeannei , q.v.) in the major in the following combination of traits: no rugoreticulum on head, humerus subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; no trace of a propodeal spine, with the basal and declivitous faces of the propodeum in side view meeting in a very wide oblique angle.

measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.30, HL 1.34, SL 0.76, EL 0.26, PW 0.62. Paralectotype type minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.72, EL 0.14, PW 0.40. Color Major: concolorous light reddish yellow. Minor: concolorous light brownish yellow.

range Widespread in Brazil, from Amazonas to Santa Catarina; also recorded from Tipuani, La Paz, Amazonian Bolivia ( var. leonhardi types); Canindeyu Department, Paraguay; and Loreto, Misiones, northern Argentina ( var. loretensis types).

Biology Unknown.

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