Pheidole gigas ^HNS new species

types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L gigas ^HNS, giant.

diagnosis A large member of the fallax ^HNS group most similar to obscurithorax ^HNS of Argentina (and exotic in the southern U. S.), and somewhat less so to the fallax ^HNS, jelskii ^HNS, and puttemansi ^HNS, differing as follows.

Major: robust; hypostoma 2-toothed; entire head heavily sculptured, with genae, venter, and broad median strip (including frontal lobes) longitudinally carinulate and most of the remainder, from genae to occiput, rugoreticulate; most of pronotal and propodeal dorsa transversely carinulate; anterior strip of first gastral tergite shagreened; promesonotal convexity in dorsal-oblique view strongly lobose and directed posteriorly; petiolar peduncle very thick, petiolar node low; postpetiole laterally angulate, scape broadened at insertion.

Minor: occiput narrow, with nuchal collar; head and pronotum shiny; propodeal spines reduced to denticles. Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 2.00, HL 1.96, SL 1.06, EL 0.24, PW 0.94. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.80, SL 1.00, EL 0.16, PW 0.46.

Color Major: gaster and postpetiole dark reddish brown, rest of body medium reddish brown.

Minor: gaster dark reddish brown, rest of body light to medium reddish brown.

Range Known only from the type locality and from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (J. C Trager).

Biology The type colony was collected in cerrado, or tropical savanna. A seed cache was found in the nest.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Mun. Anapolis, km 46 on road to Goiania, Goias (William L. and Doris E. Brown). Scale bars = 1 mm.