Pheidole carapuna

Pheidole (Pheidole) carapuna Mann, 1916: 432, pl. 3, fig. 22. Lectotype major and paralectotype minor worker: Brazil, Rondonia: Madeira-Mamore rail track, km 284 (W. M. Mann) [MCZC] (examined).

Pheidole carapuna var. chaquimayensis Wheeler 1925: 20 . Syntype major worker, male: Peru: Chaquimayo, under bark of a mouldering stem, Dec 20th (N. Holmgren) (not examined). Synonymy by Wilson, 2003: 672.

Pheidole tristicula Wilson, 2003: 768, figs. Holotype major worker and associated paratype minor worker: Peru, Madre de Dios: Cuzco Amazonico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata (Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin) [MCZC] (examined). New Synonym.

Comments. Pheidole carapuna as interpreted here is a widespread species that occurs from Mexico to northern South America, as far south as Peru. Wilson (2003) commented on the closeness of P. carapuna and P. tristicula . I consider the slight morphological differences cited to differentiate them to be intraspecific variation. There is no evidence of multiple sympatric forms, and DNA sequence data (unpublished) suggest a single widespread species.