Pheidole pinealis Wheeler ^HNS

Pheidole pinealis Wheeler ^HNS 1908h: 459.

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard; Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.

Etymology Unknown.

diagnosis A member of the " bicarinata ^HNS complex" of the larger pilifera ^HNS group, comprising agricola ^HNS, aurea ^HNS, barbata ^HNS, bicarinata ^HNS, centeotl ^HNS, cerebrosior ^HNS, ceres ^HNS, defecta ^HNS, gilvescens ^HNS, macclendoni ^HNS, macrops ^HNS, marcidula ^HNS, paiute ^HNS, pinealis ^HNS, vinelandica ^HNS, xerophila ^HNS, yaqui ^HNS, and yucatana ^HNS, which complex is characterized by the large to very large, forward-set eyes, especially in the minor; and in the major, the occipital lobes lacking any sculpturing (except in aurea ^HNS); the posterior half of the head capsule smooth and shiny; and the postpetiole seen from above oval, elliptical, or laterally angulate (cornulate in cerebrosior ^HNS). P. pinealis ^HNS differs within the complex by the following combination of traits.

Major: dark spot on vertex; humerus in dorsal-oblique view right-angulate; petiole in side view tapers to a point, and from behind is deeply concave; postpetiolar lateral extension from above horn-shaped; erect pilosity of pronotum long and dense. Minor: humerus in dorsal-oblique view feebly subangulate; postpetiole from above roughly diamond-shaped. Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.06, HL 1.24, SL 0.52, EL 0.14, PW 0.54. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.48, HL 0.54, SL 0.46, EL 0.10, PW 0.30.

color Major: head and mesosoma light brown with a slightly reddish tinge; center of head dorsum with contrasting circular dark brown spot, as illustrated; waist and gaster dark brown; appendages brownish yellow.

Minor: concolorous medium brown (brownish yellow, possibly faded, in paralectotype); appendages yellowish brown.

Range Known only from western Texas and a series from Guanajuato, central Mexico.

biology The type colony was found beneath a stone; the nest contained seed caches (Wheeler 1908h). In western Texas, Moody and Francke found three colonies, variously at 1000-1200 m, nesting, respectively, beneath a stone and cow dung and in open soil.

FIGURE Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. TEXAS: Limpio Canyon, Ft. Davis, Davis Mts., Jeff Davis Co., southwestern Texas (W. M. Wheeler). Scale bars = 1 mm.