Pheidole hirsuta Emery

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 299

Pheidole hirsuta Emery

Pheidole hirsuta Emery 1896g: 65.

Types Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova.

Etymology L hirsuta , hairy.

Diagnosis A large dark brown (major) or medium reddish brown (minor) member of the fallax group. Major: a bicolorous head; rugoreticulation extending on either side of the dorsum of the head from its anterior margin to near the occiput, separated by a band of carinulae that originates on the frontal lobes; mesopleuron and side of propodeum covered by longitudinal carinulae; and propodeal spine short and erect.

Minor: bicolorous; completely smooth and shiny except for circular carinulae around the antennal fossae and longitudinal carinulae that cover the mesopleuron and side of propodeum; nuchal collar present. Similar to lourothi , differing in many details of the characters described above. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.96, HL 2.00, SL 1.14, EL 0.26, PW 0.94. Minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.82, SL 1.06, EL 0.14, PW 0.46.

color Major: head bicolorous, mostly medium brown, with anterior one-fourth of capsule, including clypeus, genae anterior to eyes and anterior tips of frontal lobes yellowish brown; rest of body mostly dark brown; appendages light brown. Minor: blackish brown, with contrasting yellow clypeal lateral wings, mandibles, antennal club, and tarsi.

Range Atlantic and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997).

biology Nests in soil in mature wet forest (separate collections by J. T. Longino and E. O. Wilson).

Figure Upper: holotype, major (Jimenez, near Guapiles, Limon). Lower: minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (E. O. Wilson). Scale bars = 1 mm.