Pheidole seligmanni, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 230

Pheidole seligmanni new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology In honor of Peter A. Seligmann, for his signal contributions to conservation, from the creation of Conservation International to the protection of Neotropical forests and their faunas.

diagnosis A large member of the diligens group closest to alfaroi , diana , laelaps , riveti , and tepuicola , and somewhat less so to laticornis and strigosa , and distinguished from these and other species of Pheidole by the following combination of traits. Major: carinulae originating on the inner surface of the eye travel laterally to the antennal fossa; propodeal spines absent, the basal and declivitous faces of the propodeum forming an obtuse angle; postpetiole from above diamond-shaped; lateral margins of pronotal dorsum, posterior half of mesopleuron, and all of propodeum carinulate; outer surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with abundant and conspicuous long, erect hairs.

Minor: all of posterior half of head covered by semicircular, "wraparound" carinulae; propodeal spines absent; nuchal collar present. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.96, HL 1.96, SL 1.34, EL 0.24, PW 0.98. Paratype minor: HW 0.76, HL 0.92, SL 1.16, EL 0.14, PW 0.52.

color Major: body moistly medium yellow; anterior half of head deepening gradually to medium yellowish brown on the anterior rim of the clypeus and posteriorly on the first gastral segment.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The type colony was collected under moss on a rotting log.

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COLOMBIA: Parque Nacional Cuevas de los Guacharos, 10 km southeast of Palestina, Huila (Charles Kugler and J. Hahn). Scale bars = 1 mm.