Pheidole inversa Forel

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 197

Pheidole inversa Forel , new status

Pheidole radoszkowskii var. inversa Forel 1901 j: 363.

Types Lectotype and paralectotype: Nat. Mus. Nat. Hist. U.S. Paralectotypes: Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

etymology L inversa , turned upside down, allusion unknown.

diagnosis A small reddish brown, nearly hairless member of the diligens group, close to bruesi of Grenada, diligens and laidlowi of Brazil, and the widespread and very abundant Neotropical radoszkowskii and triconstricta . P. inversa is distinguished from all these species by the following combination of traits.

Major: anterior two-thirds of head longitudinally carinulate, posterior one-third smooth and shiny; cephalic rugoreticulum absent; petiolar node relatively thick in side view; anterior three-fourths of median strip of first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque. Minor: posterior two-thirds of median strip of first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque.

This form and bruesi , as well as diligens , may prove to fall within the substantial variation of radoszkowskii and thus become synonymous.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.02, HL 1.08, SL 0.80, EL 0.20, PW 0.50.

Paralectotype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.64, SL 0.76, EL 0.16, PW 0.38.

Color Major: body light reddish brown; appendages brownish yellow.

Minor: concolorous light reddish brown.

Range Northern lowland Colombia and Curacao.

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: lectotype, major (upper mesosomal profile, lectotype; lower mesosomal profile, major from Curacao). Lower: paralectotype, minor. COLOMBIA: Barranquilla. Scale bars = 1 mm.