Pheidole araneoides ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard. Etymology L araneoides ^HNS, resembling a spider.

Diagnosis A large, relatively thin and long-legged member of the " jujuyensis ^HNS complex" of the larger fallax ^HNS group, comprising araneoides ^HNS, cuevasi ^HNS, durionei ^HNS, jujuyensis ^HNS, kugleri ^HNS, leonina ^HNS, leptina ^HNS, lucretii ^HNS, lupus ^HNS, paraensis ^HNS, punctithorax ^HNS, tijucana ^HNS, wallacei ^HNS, and wolfringi ^HNS. P. araneoides ^HNS is distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: scape just reaches occipital angle; carinulae reach midpoint of cephalic capsule, and very small rugoreticular patches are present laterad to the circular carinulae of the antennal fossae; humerus smoothly rounded in dorsal-oblique view; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.

Minor: occiput drawn out into a neck with nuchal collar; body almost completely smooth and shiny; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.

Close to chocoensis and wallacei ^HNS, also from Amazonian Brazil, differing in details of the characters cited above. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.70, HL 1.84, SL 1.44, EL 0.26, PW 0.90. Paratype minor: HW 0.64, HL 1.02, SL 1.62, EL 0.20, PW 0.50.

color Major: mandibles and gaster dark reddish yellow to light reddish brown; rest of body and appendages medium reddish yellow.

Minor: concolorous dark yellow.

Range Amazonas and Para states, Brazil.

biology Found in lowland rainforest.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: S. Norte, Carajas, Para (C. Roberto f. Brandao and W. W. Benson). Scale bars = 1 mm.