Pheidole perpilosa, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 336

Pheidole perpilosa new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L perpilosa , very hairy.

Diagnosis A member of the fallax group similar to cockerelli and gula in some characters, distinguished as follows. Major: yellow; densely covered by long erect to suberect hairs (many as long as Eye Length); rugoreticulum covers most of space between each eye and antennal fossa, area behind (ventral to) eye, and a broad, continuous band across the dorsal surface of the head posterior to the eyes; frontal lobes and dorsal surface of occiput carinulate; all of head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque; mesonotal convexity subangulate in dorsal-oblique view; apex of petiolar node tapered in side view; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped.

Minor: entire body densely covered by erect to suberect hairs, many longer than Eye Length; entire head and most of mesosoma foveolate and opaque; most of dorsal surface of head carinulate; anterior margin of pronotum rugulose; occipital margin in frontal view broad, lacking nuchal collar.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.34, HL 1.40, SL 0.80, EL 0.22, PW 0.70.

Paratype minor: HW 0.70, HL 0.82, SL 0.92, EL 0.16, PW 0.52.

Color Major: body yellowish brown except for gaster, which is light brown.

Minor: body plain medium brown except for genae, which are brownish yellow; appendages brownish yellow.

Range Stefan Cover has collected several colonies at 1400-1850 m in the mountains of central and southern Arizona south of the Mogollon rim, in particular Cochise, Gila, and Yavapai Counties. He reports a colony intermediate between perpilosa and vallicola from Rucker Canyon, Cochise Co.

Biology Cover found colonies nesting in forests containing various combinations of pine, oak, and juniper, often in valleys, nesting under rocks or in open soil. Colonies are monogynous and large, containing up to 1500 minors and majors. The workers are predaceous; seed caches have not been found in the nests.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. ARIZONA: Pinal Mt., Gila Co., 1600 m (Stefan Cover). Scale bars = 1 mm.