Pheidole fabricator (F. Smith)

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 688

Pheidole fabricator (F. Smith)

Atta fabricator F. Smith 1858a: 167. Syn.: Atta nigriventris F. Smith 1858b: 169, synonymy by Brown 1981: 528; Pheidole fabricatrix Schulz 1906: 155, unjustified emendation. Raised to species level in this monograph: infraspecific forms nigella , polita .

Types Nat. Hist. Mus. London; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L fabricator , maker, builder.

Diagnosis A member of the tristis group similar to balzani , nigella , and tristis , and distinguished from these and other species in the group by the following traits.

Major: hypostoma 2-toothed; Head Width greater than Head Length; head with mandibles tapering anteriorly, and overall heartshaped; entire anterior dorsal half of head longitudinally carinulate, including frontal triangle and middle section of clypeus. measurements (mm) Syntype major: HW 1.18, HL 1.12, SL 0.60, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Minor (Caraguatatuba, Brazil): HW 0.52, HL 0.56, SL 0.52, EL 0.12, PW 0.32.

Color Major: body reddish brown except for gaster, which is plain dark brown; appendages medium to dark brown.

Minor: head plain medium brown except for the genae, which are yellowish brown; mesosoma brownish yellow; gaster dark brown;

appendages light brown.

Range In addition to the syntype from Rio de Janeiro, and series cited in the figure caption from Sao Paulo, I have seen a series of fabricator from Rancho Grande, Aragua, Venezuela, 1100 m (W. L. and D. E. Brown). Kempf (1972b) reports the species in addition from the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil. I have also examined the same or possibly a closely related species from near Belem, Para, Brazil; and from the Guayabero River, Meta, Colombia.

Biology An inhabitant of rainforest. Males were present in a nest at Rancho Grande, Venezuela, during the time of collection, 23-27 June.

Figure Upper: syntype, major (Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Lower: minor, associated with a major that was compared with syntype major (Reserva Floresta, Caraguatatuba, 40-80 m, Sao Paulo, Brazil; W. L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.