Pheidole harrisonfordi, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 433

Pheidole harrisonfordi new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Named in honor of Harrison Ford, in recognition of his outstanding contribution in service and support to tropical conservation, hence the habitats in which the Pheidole ants will continue to exist.

diagnosis A small light-colored member of the flavens group similar to the species listed in the heading above, distinguished in the major by the bulbous pronotum in dorsal-oblique view, set off from a small but distinct mesonotal convexity, and the cephalic rugoreticulum, which starts as a patch at each occiput corner and runs anteriorly in a thin band to a patch just mesad to the eye. The minor is distinctive in the steep, nearly vertical descent of the posterior mesonotal face to the metanotum.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.70, HL 0.80, SL 0.40, EL 0.08, PW 0.36. Paratype minor: HW 0.40, HL 0.44, SL 0.34, EL 0.06, PW 0.26. Color Major: body light reddish brown, appendages dark yellow. Minor: concolorous light reddish yellow.

Range Known from the type locality, and from Belmopan, Belize (Stewart B. and Jarmila Kukalova-Peck).

Biology The type series was collected on a steep, rocky forested slope (W. L. Brown); the Belize ants were taken from the ground in a Cecropia-palm forest.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. HONDURAS: El Sauce, Santa Barbara, 700 m (William L. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.