Pheidole laniger, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 313

Pheidole laniger new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L laniger , wool-bearing.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group, similar to lovejoyi (but also scan alienata , cardinalis , caribbaea , fallax , jelskii , lattkei , mantilla , obscurior , petrensis , puttemansi , rubiceps , roushae , susannae , tobini ), and distinguished as follows. Major: posterior dorsal profde of head lined by uniform felt of short, subrecumbent hairs; propodeal spine reduced to denticle; occiput smooth; rugoreticulum limited to spaces around eye; dorsal face of petiolar peduncle in side view straight; pronotum bare of carinulae.

Minor: head narrowed posteriorly, nuchal collar present; propodeal spine reduced to denticle. measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.26, HL 1.34, SL 0.90, EL 0.20, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.70, SL 0.98, EL 0.14, PW 0.38. Color Major: concolorous brownish yellow.

Minor: body and appendages light brownish yellow, head a slightly contrasting medium brownish yellow.

Range In addition to the type series, I have seen a larger, darker variant, and possibly distinct species, with more extensive cephalic reticulation on the major, from near San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela, collected by J. Lattke.

Biology The type colony was found in terra firme rainforest, in a root mass at the base of a palm tree.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. PERU: Cuzco Amazonico, 15 km northwest of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios (Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin). Scale bars = 1 mm.