Pheidole cubaensis

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 624

Pheidole cubaensis Mayr

Pheidole cubaensis Mayr 1862: 747. (Type locality: Cuba.) Syn.: Pheidole cubaensis var. grayi Mann 1920b: 426, n. syn. (junior homonym of P. grayi Forel 1902c: 167, nec cubaensis )

Types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.

Etymology Named after the country of origin.

Diagnosis A large, dark reddish brown member of the scrobifera group.

Major: deep antennal scrobes present; rear third of the dorsal head surface rugoreticulate; propodeal spines moderately long and slender; postpetiole cornulate; a small subpostpetiolar process present; pilosity short, dense, and erect.

Minor: postpetiolar node diamond-shaped; propodeal spines long, slender, and straight; venter of head transversely carinulate; dorsa of head and mesosoma almost entirely foveolate and opaque.

A unique species, placed in the scrobifera group tentatively because of the habitus of the major, but the minor shows overall resemblance to the tristis-group species alayoi , macromischoides, and naylae of Cuba and androsana of the Bahamas.

measurements (mm) Major (" var. grayi " syntype): HW 1.92, HL 2.16, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.82.

Minor (" var. grayi " syntype): HW 0.66, HL 0.72, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.44.

Color Major and minor: body dark reddish brown, appendages dark yellow to yellowish brown.

Range Cuba.

Biology Evidently a rare species: few collections have been made despite its conspicuously large size. I found a colony in Blanco's Woods, Las Villas Province, Cuba, with winged reproductives on 25 June 1953.

figure Upper: major, syntype of var. grayi . Lower: minor, syntype of var. grayi . CUBA: Limones. Scale bars = 1 mm.