Pheidole lourothi, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 317

Pheidole lourothi new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Named in honor of Louis M. Roth, distinguished insect systematist and friend, who accompanied me on my first field trip to Costa Rica in 1959.

Diagnosis A very large blackish (major) or reddish (minor) brown member of the fallax group, distinguished in the major by its long propodeal spines, largely rugoreticulate dorsal head surface, and almost completely rugulose and carinulate sides of the mesosoma; and in the minor by the rugulose mesopleuron and propodeum.

Similar to ajax , fiorii , hector , hirsuta , and jaculifera , differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.88, HL 1.80, SL 1.04, EL 0.30, PW 0.84. Paratype minor: HW 0.78, HL 0.92, SL 1.16, EL 0.22, PW 0.60.

color Major: body blackish brown, head also with a faint reddish tinge; mandibles dark reddish brown; scape and legs except tarsi medium brown; funiculus and tarsi brownish yellow.

Minor: gaster dark brown, rest of body medium reddish brown; appendages light reddish brown.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The type colony was collected by Philip S. Ward from a rotten log on the floor of rainforest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: 4 km south-southeast of San Vito Puntarenas (Philip S. Ward). Scale bars = 1 mm.