Pheidole carinata, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 391

Pheidole carinata new species

Types INBio.

Etymology L carinata , keeled or ridged, referring to the ridge-like mesonotal convexity in the major.

Diagnosis A large brown member of the flavens group whose major is distinguished by its square head shape in frontal view, angulate profde of the mesonotal convexity, and rugoreticulate mesosomal dorsum. The minor is very distinctive in the completely rugoreticulate condition of the posterior half of the head, promesonotal dorsum, and mesopleuron.

Similar to quadriceps of Colombia but differs in the major by its much shorter propodeal spine, less extensive sculpturing on the head, the rugoreticulum of the mesosoma, which is completely lacking in quadriceps , and in color, and in the minor by the mesosomal rugoreticulation, which is absent in the quadriceps minor, and also in color. See also the less similar kuna , obtusopilosa , rectisentis , scabriventris , and termitobia .

measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.14, HL 1.14, SL 0.62, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.66, SL 60, EL 0.06, PW 0.38.

Color Major: head bicolorous, with head anterior to eyes yellow and remainder of head light brown (the holotype may be a callow); body light brown; tarsi and funiculi yellow; rest of legs light brown.

Minor: body dark brown; tarsi and funiculi dark yellow; rest of appendages medium brown.

range Known only from the type locality.

biology Occurs in leaf litter of cloud forest (Longino 1997).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: Monteverde, Puntarenas, ltmN 84A°48W, 1560 m (J. T. Longino). Scale bars = 1 mm.