Pheidole kukrana, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 310

Pheidole kukrana new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Named after the type locality.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group close to caribbaea and obscurior , possibly synonymous with the latter, and somewhat less similar to cardinalis , mantilla , and rubiceps , distinguished as follows.

Major: dark brown; antennal scape just attaining the occipital corner; humerus angulate in dorsal-oblique view; occiput in frontal view and ventral half of head in side view smooth and shiny; all of pronotum covered by transverse, "wraparound" carinulae; rugoreticulum on head extends on each side from eye to antennal fossa, posteriorly to halfway between eye and occipital comer, and anteriorly to halfway between eye and anterior border of head. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of head coated with dense, long, subdecumbent yellowish hairs.

Minor: occiput drawn into neck, with nuchal collar; propodeal spines reduced to denticles; anterior strip of pronotal dorsum foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.06, HL 1.16, SL 0.98, EL 0.20, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.66, SL 0.96, EL 0.14, PW 0.36. Color Major: body dark brown, appendages medium brown. Minor: body medium brown, appendages light to yellowish brown.

Range Known from the type locality, from both the Atlantic and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino), and from Venezuela (4 km northeast of Biscucuy, Portuguesa, 670 m; W. L. Brown and J. Lattke).

biology In Costa Rica, kukrana is very adaptable, occurring in seasonal dry forest, and mature and secondary lowland rainforest, and nesting opportunistically in small cavities both on the ground and in the canopy; it occasionally builds carton walls (Longino 1997).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. NICARAGUA: Kukra River (Ivette Perfecto). Scale bars = 1 mm.