Pheidole pilosior ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L pilosior ^HNS, hairier.

diagnosis A member of the crassicornis ^HNS group, similar to crassicornis ^HNS, diversipilosa ^HNS, porcula ^HNS, tetra ^HNS, and vallicola ^HNS, and differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: reddish to dark brown; rugoreticulum of head forms a broad swath from eye to frontal carinae; pilosity very dense, forming a thick fringe of short hairs around the head and a thick mat of hairs of short to medium length on the first gastral tergite; petiolar node in side view tapered to a blunt point at the apex; postpetiolar node laterally acute-angulate; basal segment of scape 2X broader than distal segment.

Minor: dark brown; posterior dorsal half of head and promesonotal dorsum smooth and shiny. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.58, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.76. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.68, SL 0.74, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

color Major: head rich medium reddish brown, with broad area of vertex covering central half of head capsule dark brown; body dark brown; legs medium brown.

Minor: most of body and antennae dark, almost blackish brown; lateral wings of clypeus and legs medium brown. Range Known only from the type locality.

biology The type colony was collected by Cover in a heavily grazed creek floodplain forest, nesting beneath a stone in shade.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. TEXAS: Limpia Canyon creekbed, Davis Mts., Jeff Davis Co., southwestern Texas (Stefan Cover). Scale bars = 1 mm.