Pheidole mosenopsis, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 724

Pheidole mosenopsis new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Gr mosenopsis , resembling mosen(i) (q.v.).

Diagnosis Similar in various characters to the species listed in the heading above, especially moseni , and distinguished as follows. Major: frontal lobes extend forward as rounded subangular processes in side view; eyes very small, Eye Length much less than onetenth Head Width; rugoreticulum present on each side of head from eye to antennal fossa; carinulae cover all of posterior dorsal surface of head except occiput; anterior strip of pronotal dorsum transversely rugulose-carinulate, and almost all of the rest of mesosoma smooth and shiny.

Minor (Canindeyii, Paraguay): proportionately small, and small-eyed; promesonotum in side view smoothly and strongly convex; almost all of dorsal surface of head carinulate and foveolate; lower half of mesopleuron smooth, remainder of mesosoma almost all smooth; propodeal spines small, equilaterally triangular.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.82, HL 0.92, SL 0.38, EL 0.06, PW 0.46. Minor (Canendiyii, Paraguay): HW 0.42, HL 0.46, SL 0.40, EL 0.04, PW 0.24.

Color Major: head and mandibles dark reddish brown, mesosoma and gaster plain medium brown, waist yellowish brown, antennae and legs medium yellow.

Minor (Paraguay): body dark yellowish brown, appendages medium yellow.

Range Known from the type locality and from Reserva Mbaracayu, Jejuimi, Canendiyii, Paraguay.

Biology The Paraguayan colony was collected in forest leaf litter.

Figure Holotype, major. BOLIVIA: near radio station, Caranavi, Cordallera Real, La Paz, 800 m (Charles Kugler). (Minor not illustrated; see description below in the Diagnosis). Scale bar = 1 mm.