Pheidole hetschkoi Emery

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 705

Pheidole hetschkoi Emery

Pheidole hetschkoi Emery 1896g: 66. Syn.: Pheidole hetschkoi var. frivola Santschi 1923d: 57, n.syn. Raised to species level in this monograph: senillis.

Types Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genoa.

Etymology Eponymous.

diagnosis Similar to species listed in heading above, differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: shallow antennal scrobes with surfaces weakly sculptured and shiny; patches of rugoreticulum mesad to the eyes and others posterior to the antennal scrobes; middle third of the dorsal head surface covered by longitudinal carinulae that reach the occipital border; anterior margin of the pronotal dorsum rugoreticulate, and lateral borders irregularly carinulate; postpetiolar cornicles strongly developed.

Minor: transverse carinulae cover the occiput; carinulae arising on the frontal lobes curve to the outside (laterad) to approach the eyes transversely; pronotal dorsum entirely carinulate; mesonotal dorsum rugoreticulate; mesonotum rugoreticulate; occiput narrow, with nuchal collar.

measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 2.00, HL 2.14, SL 0.90, EL 0.24, PW 0.84. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.76, HL 0.86, SL 0.90, EL 0.16, PW 0.54.

color Major: head, mesothorax, and appendages medium reddish brown, waist and gaster medium plain or reddish brown. Minor: head and mesosoma medium brown; waist, gaster, and appendages brownish yellow.

Range In addition to the types, from the state of Santa Catarina, I have examined series from Espirito Santo and Sao Paulo, variously at 750-800 m.

biology Occurs in montane rainforest. A seed cache was found in a nest in the Boraceia Biological Station, Salesopolis, Sao Paulo (W. L. Brown).

Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. BRAZIL: Santa Catarina. Scale bars = 1 mm.