Pheidole tristops ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Gr L tristops ^HNS, like tristis ^HNS.

diagnosis Similar in various ways to balzani ^HNS, brunnescens ^HNS, exarata ^HNS, excubitor ^HNS, fabricator ^HNS, germaini ^HNS, hispaniolae ^HNS, nigella ^HNS, prattorum ^HNS, sabina ^HNS, sarpedon ^HNS, unicornis ^HNS, and especially tristis ^HNS, differing as follows.

Major: head in side view with strongly convex ventral profile and weakly convex dorsal profile, the whole tapering strongly to the occiput; occipital cleft deep; humeri lobate, seen from above extending over the rest of the pronotum and from the side raised to a prominent discrete lobe; anterior half of postpetiolar venter in side view bearing an acute-angular process; postpetiolar node from above cone-shaped; all of mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque.

Minor: occiput broad, lacking nuchal collar; humerus in dorsal-oblique view raised and subangulate; postpetiolar venter in side view strongly convex; all of body except gaster foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.74, HL 1.86, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.82. Paratype minor: HW 0.66, HL 0.74, SL 0.76, EL 0.10, PW 0.42.

color Major: body and mandibles medium reddish brown; legs and antennae brownish yellow.

Minor: head, mesosoma, and petiole medium brown; antennae, mandibles, postpetiole and gaster light brown; legs dark yellow. Range Known from the type locality, and from Quebrado, Chirihara, Cundinamarca, Colombia, at 1400 m (William L. and Doris E. Brown).

biology The type colony was found in rainforest.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: 2-3 km above Minca, Magdalena, 650-950 m (William L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.