Pheidole nasutoides Holldobler

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 468-469

Pheidole nasutoides Holldobler and Wilson

Pheidole nasutoides Holldobler and Wilson 1992: 16. Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Compound Greek and Latin ("like nasute"), referring to resemblance of the major to a Nasutitermes soldier.

Diagnosis A medium-sized member of the flavens group, whose major possesses 2 teeth (as opposed to the usual 4 or 5) on the hypostoma; uniquely bicolorous head (see below); promesonotum perfectly semicircular in side view and subangular in dorsal-oblique view. Also, the minor is unusual in its narrow occiput with nuchal collar.

Similar to defecta of Guatemala (known only from the major caste and placed tentatively in the pilifera group), differing in the shape of promesonotal and propodeal spine, sculpturing, and color.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.80, HL 0.78, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.34. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.54, SL 0.54, EL 0.10, PW 0.32.

Color Major: color medium yellow, except for a light brown "mask" as depicted in the figure; the intensity and shape of the mask varies considerably among the major workers in the type series. Minor: concolorous medium yellow.

Range Known only from the type series. Repeated attempts by Holldobler and Wilson (see 1992) and J. T. Longino (1997) to discover additional colonies at and around the type locality have been unsuccessful, suggesting that the species is either very rare or a relatively inaccessible canopy dweller.

biology The type colony was found in a round mass of dried, thatch-like vegetation about 1.5 meters from the ground in the moderately dense foliage of a small tree at the border of open experimental fields of the La Selva Biological Station. When the nest was disturbed, more than a hundred major and minor workers rushed out and ran in erratic looping patterns to form a spreading wave away from the nest. The resemblance of the majors to NasutUermes nasute soldiers similarly provoked was remarkable. In particular, the mask of the P. nasutoides majors is roughly shaped like the head of the nasute termites and contrasts with the light remainder of the body in the same way (Holldobler and Wilson 1992).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Fferedia (Bert Holldobler). Scale bars = 1 mm.