Pheidole hoplitica ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology Gr hoplitica ^HNS, referring to the hoplite, a heavily armed soldier of ancient Greece.

diagnosis A member of the " pilifera ^HNS complex" of the larger pilifera ^HNS group, comprising calens ^HNS, californica ^HNS, carrolli ^HNS, cavigenis ^HNS, clementensis ^HNS, creightoni ^HNS, hoplitica ^HNS, littoralis ^HNS, micula ^HNS, pilifera ^HNS, rugulosa ^HNS, senex ^HNS, soritis ^HNS, tepicana ^HNS, and torosa ^HNS, which complex is characterized by the following traits. Major: dorsal head surface extensively sculptured; occipital lobes horizontally rugulose (or, in carrolli ^HNS smooth, in littoralis ^HNS foveate, and in micula ^HNS and soritis ^HNS carinulate); postpetiole from above diamond-shaped, trapezoidal, or spinose. Minor: eye medium-sized to large.

P. hoplitica ^HNS is distinguished within the complex, including cavigenis ^HNS, which it most resembles, by the following combination of traits. Major: posterior dorsal profde of head markedly concave; occiput partly rugoreticulate; carinulae that originate from around frontal triangle turn outward near the center of the head toward the occipital corners; promesonotum strongly convex, almost semicircular in profde; postpetiolar node in side view wide and broadly rounded, not narrow and abruptly rounded.

Minor: head and sides of pronotum smooth and shining, not densely sculptured and opaque; some of the hairs of the promesonotal dorsal surface clavate.

measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.52, SL 0.60, EL 0.22, PW 0.70.

Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.56, SL 0.46, EL 0.14, PW 0.32.

Color Major: light reddish brown.

Minor: brownish yellow.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. TEXAS: Starr County (W. Cloyd). Scale bars = 1 mm.