Pheidole cataphracta ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L cataphracta ^HNS, fully armored.

Diagnosis A member of the punctatissima ^HNS group easiliy recognized by the very long propodeal spines, which are about as long as the basal face of the propodeum anterior to them.

Major: dorsum of head completely carinulate except for frontal triangle and mid-clypeus; humerus subangulate; all of mesosoma and petiole foveolate and opaque.

Minor: almost all of head, as well as all of mesosoma and petiole, foveolate and opaque; humerus with protuberant blunt oblique angles.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.96, SL 0.54, EL 0.14, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.50, SL 0.50, EL 0.10, PW 0.32.

Color Major: concolorous yellow except for head, which is dark yellow with a slight reddish tinge. Minor: concolorous medium yellow.

range Recorded from only two collections in Valle Department, Colombia.

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Mun. Buenaventura, 3.2 km above Rio Aguaclara on the old Cali road, Valle (William L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.