Pheidole nasifer, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 726

Pheidole nasifer new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L nasifer , bearing a nose, referring to the nose-like protrusion of the median clypeal carina of the major in side view.

Diagnosis A medium-sized member of the tristis group similar and in various ways to the species listed in the heading, but sharply distinguished as follows.

Major: a single "nose" (the median carina of the clypeus) protrudes in side view, not accompanied by the frontal lobes; all of dorsal surface of head except occiput covered by carinulae, with those originating from the frontal lobes and along the frontal carinae turning outward to travel to the sides of the head; pronotal dorsum transversely carinulate; petiolar node from above oval.

Minor: propodeal spines reduced to denticles; mesosomal dorsum almost completely covered by transverse carinulae; postpetiolar node depressed, and postpetiole cylindrical in overall shape; occipital margin broad and weakly concave.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.16, HL 1.32, SL 0.64, EL 0.18, PW 0.68.

Paratype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.62,. SL 0.56, EL 0.10, PW 0.36.

Color Major: concolorous plain medium brown.

Minor: body dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The nest of the type colony contained a cache of small seeds.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. PERU: vicinity of Tingo Maria, Huauco (W. L. Brown and W. Sherbrooke). Scale bars = 1 mm.