Pheidole spininodis

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 756

Pheidole spininodis Mayr

Pheidole spininodis Mayr 1887: 591. Syn.: Pheidole hohenlohei Emery 1888c: 354, synonymy by Emery 1906c: 146; Pheidole spielbergi Emery 1888c: 354, n. syn. (provisional); Pheidole spininodis var. pencosensis Forel 1914d: 271, n. syn.; Pheidole spininodis var. lucifuga Santschi 1923d: 56, n. syn.; Pheidole (P.) spininodis var. bruta Santschi 1929d: 285; n. syn.; Pheidole spininodis var. solaris Santschi 1929d: 287, n. syn.

Types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.

Etymology L spininodis , thorny knot, referring to the spinose postpetiole of the major.

diagnosis Similar in various traits to exarata , excubitor , germaini , gibba , rogeri , stulta , tristis , tristops , and zoster , distinguished as follows.

Major: large; reddish yellow; postpetiolar node extremely drawn out, wide but short, and spinose; carinulae extend posteriorly to just beyond eye level, and entire rest of body smooth and shiny; head subrectangular; occipital cleft deep, its nadir acute-angular; antennal scapes very short.

Minor: occiput broad, lacking nuchal collar; carinulae reach posteriorly just beyond eye level, and entire remainder of body smooth and shiny; dorsal promesonotal profile semicircular.

P. spielbergi of southern Brazil may prove to be a distinct species: the syntype major is smaller than the spininodis lectotype, and the minor larger; the major scape is longer; and the major hind femora are thicker. Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 2.32, HL 2.46, SL 0.92, EL 0.26, PW 1.00. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.74, HL 0.76, SL 0.74, EL 0.12, PW 0.46.

Color Major: head, mesosoma, and appendages medium reddish yellow; waist and gaster plain medium brown. Minor: body plain medium brown, appendages light brown.

range Widespread in northern and central Argentina (Bruch 1916; Kempf 1972b), and also recorded from Rio Grande Do Sul (synonymous P. spielbergi ).

Biology In the central Argentina province of San Luis, Bruch (1916) found " var. pencosensis " in dry scrub, nesting in soil of varying grain and hardness, and once beneath dried cow dung. The nest entrances were circular and surrounded by semicircular banks of excavated earth, and galleries and chambers descended to about 30 cm.

Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. ARGENTINA: Jandil, Buenos Aires. Scale bars = 1 mm.