Pheidole laevinota Forel

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 200

Pheidole laevinota Forel , new status

Pheidole rufipilis var. laevinota Forel 1908h: 371.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology L laevinota , smooth notum, evidently in contrast to that of rufipilis .

Diagnosis Similar to species listed in heading, but especially to rufipilis , a partially sympatric species from which it differs as follows.

Major: rugoreticulum present posterior-laterad to antennal fossa; front and lateral margins of pronotum carinulate, but pronotal center smooth and shiny; upper side of propodeum carinulate; postpetiolar node from above oval; humerus in dorsal-oblique view subangulate.

Minor: humerus in dorsal-oblique view angulate; pronotal dorsum smooth. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.18, HL 1.16, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.58. Paratype minor: HW 0.54, HL 0.64, SL 0.74, EL 0.14, PW 0.40. Color Major: body light brown, appendages dark yellow. Minor: concolorous light brown.

Range Recorded by Kempf (1972a) from Sao Paulo and Jujuy, northern Argentina. I have verified another Argentine record, from near Horco Molle, Tucuman, 750-900 m (W. L. Brown).

Biology The Horco Molle series was collected in subtropical evergreen forest, and includes a male (19-22 January).

Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. BRAZIL: Sao Paulo, S. P. Scale bars = 1 mm.