Pheidole sarcina, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 748

Pheidole sarcina Forel, new status

Pheidole breviconus var. sarcina Forel 1912g: 230.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology L sarcina , package, bundle, possibly alluding to frontal cephalic carinulae.

Diagnosis Similar in various traits to the species listed above, differing in the following combination.

Major: frontal lobes project for short distance as lobes, in side view; humerus obliquely subangulate and mesonotal convexity rightangulate in dorsal-oblique view; petiolar node tapers to a rounded point in side view; postpetiole spinose; shallow, narrow antennal scrobe present; carinulae originating on frontal lobes spread outward all the way to the occiput; occipital lobes smooth with scattered foveae; small rugoreticulum behind each antennal fossa; most of pronotal dorsum and propodeal dorsum carinulate. Minor: occiput narrow, with nuchal collar; all of posterior dorsum of head and almost all of mesonotal and propodeal dorsa "tigerstriped " with semicircular and transverse carinulae; propodeal spine reduced to denticle. Measurements (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.54, HL 1.54, SL 0.80, EL 0.18, PW 0.72. Syntype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Color Major: body medium reddish brown, appendages light reddish brown. Minor: head and mesosoma medium reddish brown; waist, gaster, and appendages light reddish brown.

Range Known from type locality, from other localities in Sao Paulo, and from near Bucay, Guayas, Ecuador (W. L. Brown).

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: syntype, major. Lower: syntype, minor. BRAZIL: Botucatu, Sao Paulo. Scale bars = 1 mm.