Pheidole dossena, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 287

Pheidole dossena new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L dossena, clown, jester, referring to the odd head coloration.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group, similar to bergi in some traits, but easily distinguished from it and other group members as follows.

Major: brownish yellow with a conspicuous circular brown spot in center of vertex, and yellow appendages. Propodeal spines thin, one-third as long as the basal propodeal face and vertical to it; petiolar node very high, tapering in side view at the apex to form a blunt point; postpetiole from above elliptical, with subangulate lateral margins; rugoreticulum extending on each side of head from eye to antennal fossa; carinulae along midline reach from vertex to occiput, and flanked on occiput by short, feeble carinulae, with rest of posterior half of dorsal head surface smooth.

Minor: propodeal spines long and thin; occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar; carinulae cross border between mesopleuron and side of propodeum.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major. HW 1.14, HL 1.22, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.64, SL 0.68, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

Color Major: body and mandibles light brownish yellow, verging to light brown in a circular spot in center of vertex; appendages clear yellow.

Minor: body brownish yellow, tending to clear yellow on mesosoma and waist, with a brownish tinge on head and gaster; appendages clear yellow.

Range I have seen material from numerous localities in lowland southern Mexico (Palenque, Chiapas), Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Biology Occurs on the floor of lowland forest, nesting in rotting wood.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia (Stefan Cover). Scale bars = 1 mm.