Pheidole ajax

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 263

Pheidole ajax Forel

Pheidole ajax Forel 1899e: 71.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology Gr Ajax, legendary Greek hero of the Trojan war.

Diagnosis A large brown member of the fallax group immediately recognizable in the major by the extremely long propodeal spines; by the completely carinulate center of the head and frontal lobes, which is flanked by a rugoreticulum on either side in full-face view; and by the striate first gastral tergite.

Minor: extremely long propodeal spines and mostly smooth and shiny head and body.

Similar to fiorii , hector , jaculifera , and lourothi , differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as depicted. measurements (mm) Major (Rio Toro Amarillo, Costa Rica): HW 1.28, HL 1.36, SL 1.16, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Minor (Rio Toro Amarillo, Costa Rica): HW 0.56, HL 0.82, SL 1.12, EL 0.14, PW 0.40. color Major: body dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Minor: body and most appendages medium to light brown, except for yellowish brown tarsi.

Range Atlantic slope to 600 m (J. T. Longino 1997).

Biology A nest was found by Longino (1997) beneath the bark of a rotten stump in mature wet forest.

Figure Upper: major. Lower: minor. COSTA RICA: Rio Toro Amarillo, near Guapiles (William L. Brown). Minor compared with syntype in Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneve, by W. O. Brown. Type locality: San Jose, Costa Rica. Scale bars = 1 mm.