Pheidole bufo, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 251

Pheidole bufo new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L bufo , toad.

Diagnosis A very distinct member of the distorta group, recognizable by the following traits:

Major: central third of dorsal head surface in side view deeply concave; all of dorsal surface of head except clypeus and frontal triangle, and all of pronotal dorsum, strongly rugoreticulate; hypostoma bidentate; sides of mesosoma and dorsum of postpetiolar node carinulate; anterior third of first gastral tergite finely striate, remainder foveolate and opaque; humerus right-angulate and posteriorly notched in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spine very large, nearly 2X as long as the basal face of the propodeum anterior to it. Minor: humerus surmounted by a blunt spine in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines nearly as long as the basal propodeal space; mesosoma almost completely covered by longitudinal carinulae.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.64, HL 1.92, SL 0.84, EL 0.22, PW 0.78.

Paratype minor: HW 0.84, HL 0.82, SL 0.74, EL 0.18, PW 0.54.

Color Major and minor: body dark brown, appendages light to medium brown.

Range In addition to the type colony from Brazil, the species has been found in Colombia (near Leticia) and Ecuador (Yasuni National Park, near Puerto Tiputini).

biology James C. Trager, the collector, found the workers feeding on a crushed scarab larva.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: trail to waterfall, Veu de Noira, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Mato Grosso (James C. Trager). Scale bars = 1 mm.