Pheidole peckorum ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Named in honor of the collectors, both distinguished entomologists and field researchers.

diagnosis A strikingly unique species within the scrobifera ^HNS group and Pheidole ^HNS in general.

Major: anterior two-thirds of the dorsal head surface covered by a dense felt of very short, exactly erect hairs of uniform length; antennal scrobe deep, extending posteriorly past the transverse midline of the head and devoid of sculpturing; head rectangular in fullface view, and all of the anterior three-fourths except the central piece of the clypeus and frontal triangle rugoreticulate. Minor: all of the anterior five-sixths of the head capsule dorsum, including the frontal lobes, rugoreticulate; humerus right-angular in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines very long.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.04, HL 1.26, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.60. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.56, SL 0.50, EL 0.06, PW 0.34.

Color Major: body medium reddish brown except gaster which is light brown, appendages yellow. Minor: concolorous reddish yellow.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: holotype, major (22 km southwest of Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador). Lower: paratype, minor (tentatively associated with holotype major; 25 km north of Puyo, Pastaza, Ecuador, 1000 m). (Stewart B. Peck and Jarmila Kukalova-Peck.) Scale bars = 1 mm.