Pheidole tennantae, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 521

Pheidole tennantae new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology Named after the collector, Leeanne E. Tennant-Alonso, myrmecologist and conservationist.

diagnosis Similar in various traits to amazonica , chalcoides , moffetti , andpariana , differing as follows.

Major: brown, with bicolored head; pilosity dense, with many hairs 1.5-2.0X Eye Length; in dorsal-oblique view, humerus high, descends in continuous nearly flat curve to metanotum; propodeal spines half as long as propodeal basal face preceding them; from

above, postpetiolar node oval and very narrow, only about as wide as petiolar node; dorsal surface of head carinulate except for occiput, frontal triangle, and mid-clypeus; occiput smooth with scattered foveae.

Minor: pilosity very long, some hairs 2X Eye Length; humerus in dorsal-oblique view angulate; propodeal spines moderately long, and thin; occiput narrowed somewhat, its margin concave, lacking nuchal collar. measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.86, HL 0.90, SL 0.46, EL 0.14, PW 0.44. Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.50, SL 0.44, EL 0.10, PW 0.32.

color Major: rear two-thirds of head, as well as frontal triangle, part of vertex, and midclypeus, dark brown and rest of head dark yellow, as depicted; waist light brown.

Minor: body dark brown; mandibles, funiculi, and tarsi medium yellow, remainder of appendages brownish yellow.

Range Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997); Panama; Colombia; Venezuela; and Amazonian Peru (Tingo Maria).

Biology In Costa Rica, according to Longino (1997), tennantae (referred to by the Wilson ms. name campanae) nests in dead wood on the floor of wet forests.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Leeanne E. Tennant-Alonso). Scale bars = 1 mm.