Pheidole exarata Emery ^HNS

Pheidole exarata Emery ^HNS 1896g: 68.

Types Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova.

Etymology Unknown.

Diagnosis A large, medium brown (major) or plain light brown (minor) member of the tristis ^HNS group with small propodeal spines, possessing as well a subpostpetiolar process and bell-shaped postpetiolar node.

Major: all of dorsal head surface covered by parallel longitudinal carinulae; and pronotal dorsum by transverse carinulae.

Minor: occiput broad, lacking a nuchal collar; all of dorsal surface of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Similar to alpinensis ^HNS, excubitor ^HNS, germaini ^HNS, grandinodus ^HNS, grantae ^HNS, obrima ^HNS, rogeri ^HNS, stulta ^HNS, tristis ^HNS, and zoster ^HNS, differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated, and in color, as described.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.60, HL 1.78, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.80.

Paralectotype minor: HW 0.80, HL 0.86, SL 0.78, EL 0.14, PW 0.50.

color Major: concolorous medium reddish brown.

Minor: concolorous plain light brown.

Range Known from the type locality and from Reserva Naturale, El Guayaba, Cali-Popayan, Cauca, Colombia, 1600 m (W. L. Brown and R. Root).

Biology The Colombian colony, with a winged queen, was found in montane rainforest on 24 March.

figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. COSTA RICA: San Jose. Scale bars = 1 mm.