Pheidole vomer ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L vomer ^HNS, plowshare, referring to the raised median carina of the major clypeus.

diagnosis Similar in various traits to amata ^HNS, ambigua ^HNS, celaena ^HNS, fera ^HNS, germaini ^HNS, peruviana ^HNS, rutilana ^HNS, schwarzmaieri ^HNS, and superba ^HNS, differing as follows.

Major: median carina projects forward slightly as a single, bladelike process; occipital cleft deep; carinae originating on frontal lobes fan outward and most reach the occipital border; occipital lobes mostly smooth and sprinkled with scattered foveae; in dorsal-oblique view, humerus raised high as a prominent lobe; propodeal spines thin and vertical on propodeal basal face; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped; promesonotal dorsum entirely carinulate.

Minor: head "tiger-striped" with curving carinulae along the sides and straight carinulae that run from the frontal lobes to the occiput; occiput somewhat narrowed, with nuchal collar; promesonotal dorsum entirely carinulate; propodeal spines short, thin, and vertical on the propodeal dorsal face.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.48, SL 0.70, EL 0.16, PW 0.70. Paratype minor: HW 0.70, HL 0.78, SL 0.66, EL 0.08, PW 0.48.

Color Major: body and mandibles dark reddish brown, tarsi dark yellow, other appendages light reddish brown. Minor: body medium brown, appendages dark yellow.

Range Known from the type locality, and from San Pedro de la Sierra, Pico Verbabuena, Magdalena, 1730 m (C. Kugler).

biology Winged queens were present in the type colony at the time of collection 9-13 January.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Finca Merenberg, 12 km west of Belen, Huila, 2300 m (C. Kugler and J. Hahn). Scale bars = 1 mm.