Pheidole harlequina, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 432

Pheidole harlequina new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology NL harlequina for harlequin, clown in multicolored, brightly patterned costume.

Diagnosis Similar to drepanon , another unusual Dominican endemic, differing from it and all other Pheidole as follows. Major: propodeal spine thick, curved slightly, and as long as the propodeal basal face anterior to it; body multicolored as depicted and described under Color below; head much broader than long, expanding posteriorly to maximum width at occiput; a small patch of rugoreticulum present between eye and antennal fossa on each side, and most of rest of dorsal surface of head carinulate; postpetiole from above oval.

Minor: multicolored, as described below; propodeal spines thick, curved, and as long as the propodeal basal face anterior to them. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.90, SL 0.66, EL 0.14, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.50, SL 0.62, EL 0.10, PW 0.34.

Color Major: multicolored; mesosoma and waist dark brown; posterior rear half of head, a large circular patch covering part of

vertex, and all of frontal triangle and clypeus medium brown; and rest of body clear yellow.

Minor: head, mesosoma, and waist dark brown; gaster pale yellow; appendages light to brownish yellow.

range Known only from the type locality. Evidently an endemic of the Dominican Republic, although it is to be looked for in Haiti as well. A second, similar species is known from a single minor collected in dry coastal scrub 3 km east of Tintero, San Pedros de Macoris, Dominican Republic (W. L. and D. E. Brown); it will not be described at this time.

Biology The type colony was found in a pine-hardwood ravine.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (GREATER ANTILLES): Hotel Nueva Sueza, Constanza, La Vega Prov., 1300 m (William L. and Doris E. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.