Pheidole texticeps, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 240

Pheidole texticeps new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L texticeps , woven head, referring to the fabric-like, rugoreticulate dorsal surface of the head.

Diagnosis A member of the diligens group, distinguished as follows.

Major: bicolorous; dorsal head surface between eyes and frontal carinae, from the genae almost to but not including the occiput, weakly rugoreticulate; hypostoma with 2 teeth; mesosomal convexity in side view very high, tapering to a blunt point; pronotum bilobous in dorsal-oblique view; mesosoma dorsum with a row of sparse, paired setae; gaster entirely smooth and shiny. Minor: bicolorous, mesosomal convexity very high; mesosomal dorsum sparsely pilose; dorsal surface of head smooth and shiny. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 0.92, SL 0.64, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.58, SL 0.66, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.

Color Major: head, antennae, and mandibles light brown; mesosoma, waist, and legs light brown; gaster dark brown. Minor: mesosoma, waist, and appendages medium brown; head and gaster blackish brown.

Range Known from the type locality, and from nearby Rio Toro Amarillo, in the vicinity of Guapiles, Costa Rica.

Biology A colony collected at the type locality by Stefan Cover et al. was nesting in primary rainforest in and beneath a rotten branch on the ground.

FIGURE Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Stefan Cover, Mark W. Moffett, John E. Tobin). Scale bars = 1 mm.