Pheidole subnuda, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 236

Pheidole subnuda new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L subnuda , almost bare (of pilosity).

Diagnosis A member of the diligens group, similar to radoszkowskii and related species, and distinguished as follows.

Major: posterior dorsal half of head covered by faint longitudinal carinulae; pronotal dorsum transversely rugulose; gaster entirely smooth; pronotal dorsum weakly bilobous; mesosoma hairless.

Minor: posterior third of ventral head profile concave; humerus and mesosomal convexity angulate; head and gaster entirely smooth and shiny; mesosoma and waist entirely foveolate and opaque; dorsal mesosomal profile bearing peculiar short, curving hairs.

measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.92, SL 0.66, EL 0.18, PW 0.50. Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.62, SL 0.70, EL 0.14, PW 0.38. color Major: body light brown, appendages dark yellow.

Minor: body medium brown; tarsi yellow, and rest of appendages brownish yellow to light brown.

Range Known from the type locality; and from La Parada, San Cristobal (1100 m) and Palmira (1200 m), both in Tachira, Venezuela (J. Lattke).

Biology Males were present in the nest at La Parada, Venezuela, on 13 September.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Cano El Buque, S. Villavicencio, Meta, 480 m (Charles Kugler). Scale bars = 1 mm.