Pheidole perpusilla Emery

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 536-554 : 553

Pheidole perpusilla Emery

Pheidole flavens subsp. perpusilla Emery 1894d: 157. Syn.: Pheidole decem Forel 190 lj: 366, n. syn.; Pheidole (Hendecapheidole) emersoni Wheeler 1922f: 4. Raised to species level by Emery 1896g: 80.

types Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova.

Etymology L perpusilla , extremely small.

Diagnosis A member of the perpusilla group (10-segmented antenna, very small body size), distinguished within the group by the following traits.

Major: dorsum of head except for frontal triangle and mid-clypeus completely covered by longitudinal carinulae; propodeal spines short and stout, less than a third as long as the basal propodeal face anterior to them; first gastral tergite and dorsum of postpetiolar node smooth and shiny; pronotum varies from foveolate (South America) to smooth (Panama). Minor: all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Major (Mazaruni, Guyana): HW 0.60, HL 0.62, SL 0.26, EL 0.06, PW 0.32. Minor (syntype of synonymous emersoni ): HW 0.34, HL 0.38, SL 0.28, EL 0.06, PW 0.26. Color Major: most of body and appendages reddish yellow, gaster medium to dark brown. Minor: body yellowish brown, appendages in contrasting yellow.

Range Recorded from Panama, Guyana, and Para, Brazil.

biology Two colonies in Guyana were found in the abandoned portions of Nasutitermes carton nests.

Figure Upper: major, composite of specimens from Mazaruni, Guyana, and Barro Colorado Island, Panama (latter specimen compared with syntype in Emery collection by W. L. Brown). Lower: minor, Barro Colorado Island, Panama. (Type locality: Belem, Para, Brazil.) Scale bars = 1 mm.