Pheidole subaberrans (Kusnezov)

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 140

Pheidole subaberrans (Kusnezov)

Elasmopheidole subaberrans Kusnezov 1952d: 71. Combination in Pheidole by Kempf 1972b: 184.

Types Inst. Miguel Lillo, Tucuman; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L subaberrans , below, i.e., almost aberrans .

diagnosis A member of the aberrans group -actually, an intermediate in habitus between the aberrans and tristis groups -distinguished as follows.

Major: large; head bicolored; occipital carina not present as in other aberrans-gwup species; hypostoma lacking spines; in full-face view, frontal lobes broad, asymmetrical, with pointed anterior borders that just reach the anterior clypeal border; humeri very large, rising 4X higher than the mesonotal convexity in dorsal-oblique view; acute, forward-projecting process on postpetiolar venter, as seen from the side; pronotum partly covered by transverse carinulae.

Minor: low process present on venter of postpetiole, as seen from the side; semicircular carinulae cover the pronotum; propodeal spines thin, needle-like.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.44, HL 1.76, SL 0.60, EL 0.16, PW 0.86. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.68, SL 0.54, EL 0.12, PW 0.44.

Color Major: reddish yellow except for frontal lobes and borders of mandibles, which are a sharply contrasting blackish brown. Range Recorded from Tucuman and Salta, Argentina.

Biology Unknown.

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