Pheidole sciara Cole

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 346

Pheidole sciara Cole

Pheidole sciara Cole 1955a: 47.

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Gr sciara , shaded, possibly alluding to color of the types.

Diagnosis A member of the fallax group, somewhat similar to optiva of Mexico, distinguished as follows. Major: in dorsal-oblique view, promesonotal dorsal profde with 3 roughly equal lobes (2 pronotal, 1 mesonotal); rugoreticulum on each side of head extends from eye to antennal fossa; central third of head dorsum, from frontal lobes to occiput, carinulate, and occipital lobes smooth; pronotal dorsum entirely carinulate; propodeal spines one third as long as and nearly vertical to basal propodeal face; postpetiole elliptical, with angulate lateral borders.

Minor: entire head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque; eyes large, Eye Length one-third Head Width. Measurements (mm) Paratype major: HW 1.48, HL 1.52, SL 0.86, EL 0.26, PW 0.80. Paratype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.76, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.40.

Color Major: body light reddish brown except for gaster, which is plain medium to dark brown. Minor: body plain medium brown, appendages light to medium brown.

Range West-central Texas to southwestern New Mexico.

Biology A colony found in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, by Stefan Cover (unpublished field notes) was in open desert with scattered mesquite, yucca, and Ephedra, occupying a soil nest with an entrance in a grass clump. A second colony was discovered by Cover nesting in open soil near Pecos, Texas, in saline desert among growth of Limonium and Salicornia. Nests reported by Moody and Francke (1982) in western Texas were at 600 to 1700 m and variously under stones and in open soil.

Figure Upper: paratype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. NEW MEXICO: Lordsburg (Arthur C. Cole). Scale bars = 1 mm.