Pheidole lucaris, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 446

Pheidole lucaris new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L lucaris , from a grove, referring to the type locality.

Diagnosis A medium sized, concolorous brown member of the flavens group characterized in the major by a somewhat flattened head in side view; relatively long, abundant, erect hairs on the mesosoma, waist, and gaster; short, equilateral propodeal spine in side view; longitudinal carinulae (but no rugoreticulum) covering the anterior dorsal half of the head, with middle section of clypeus smooth; postpetiolar node seen from above trapezoidal; and mesosoma mostly smooth and shiny.

Similar in some but not all of these traits to chalca , delicata , and ulothrix , and differing in others, as well as in additional details of

body form, sculpturing, pilosity, and color, as variously indicated.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.82, HL 0.92, SL 0.54, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.

Paratype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.40, EL 0.08, PW 0.28.

Color Major: body dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Minor: body medium brown, tarsi yellow, and remainder of appendages light brown.

range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The type colony was collected in Atlantic lowland rainforest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Caraguatatuba Reserve, Sao Paulo state, 40-80 m (William L. and Doris E. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.