Pheidole verricula, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 532

Pheidole verricula new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L verriculum, a dragnet, referring to the densely rugoreticulate heads of the major and minor.

Diagnosis A relatively large member of the flavens group, distinguished in both major and minor by the dorsal surface of the head being completely rugoreticulate except for the frontal lobes, clypeus, and a small strip of the head capsule just behind the clypeus. In addition, the major has a cornulate humerus and stout, relatively long propodeal spine, and a broad lens-shaped postpetiolar node, and the pronotal dorsum of the minor is completely rugoreticulate.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 1.00, SL 0.46, EL 0.12, PW 0.46. Paratype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.54, SL 0.46, EL 0.08, PW 0.32.

Color Major: body dark, almost blackish brown, mandibles medium brown, appendages a contrasting dark yellow. Minor: mandibles and body concolorous medium brown, legs and antennae brownish yellow.

Range Montane Costa Rica above 1500 m, collected at Los Alturas, Braulio Carrillo, and Monteverde by Longino (1997); also Minas Las Animas, above Valle de Angeles, Honduras, 1560 m (W. L. Brown).

Biology Occurs on the leaf litter on the forest floor and in canopy soil in very wet cloud forest and elfin forest (Longino 1997). The Honduras colony found by W. L. Brown was in a forest ravine, nesting in rotten wood.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: 4 km north-northwest of Las Alturas, Puntarenas, 8A°59TSf 82A°51 W, 1950 m (P. S. Ward). Scale bars = 1 mm.