Pheidole nuculiceps Wheeler

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 475

Pheidole nuculiceps Wheeler

Pheidole nuculiceps Wheeler 1908h: 473.

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology Unknown.

diagnosis A member of the " flavens complex" within the larger flavens group, also including asperithorax , breviscapa , cardiella , chloe , exigua , flavens , goeldii , mittermeieri , moerens , nitidicollis , pholeops , sculptior , striatidens , and trinitatis , differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: shallow antennal scrobes present, their surfaces smooth and shiny; parallel longitudinal carinulae cover all of the head surface (including the occiput) except for the center of the clypeus and frontal triangle; anterior and lateral margins of the pronotal dorsum carinulate; mesosoma and sides of waist foveolate and opaque; the strongly convex promesonotum descends to the metanotal groove through a distinct 45-degree posterior face; propodeal spines well-developed.

Minor: carinulae limited to anterior half of head capsule, including lateral margins of the frontal lobes; all of the head and mesosoma, and sides of the waist, foveolate and opaque; the remainder of the body smooth and shiny; propodeal spines well-developed. measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.78, HL 0.76, SL 0.64, EL 0.10, PW 0.40. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.50, SL 0.42, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.

color Major and minor: body concolorous light reddish yellow ("orange"); appendages clear medium yellow.

range Known only from the type locality.

biology Unknown.

figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. TEXAS: New Braunfels (William M. Wheeler). Scale bars = 1 mm.