Pheidole argentina (Bruch) ^HNS

Gallardomyrma argentina Bruch ^HNS 1932: 273. Placed in Pheidole ^HNS by generic synonymy ( Pheidole ^HNS = Gallardomyrma) by W. L. Brown 1973b: 180.

Types Mus. La Plata, Buenos Aires.

Etymology Named after the country of origin.

diagnosis An extreme workerless parasite of Pheidole nitidula ^HNS. The queen possesses a trait unique within the ants: the antenna is 10-segmented, with a well-developed, 1-segmented club. Also, the body is somewhat pupiform and the mandibles are reduced to toothless straps.

measurements (mm) Syntype queen: according to Bruch (1932), the total length of a queen in the type series is 1.7 mm. Color Head, especially vertex, brownish yellow; mesosoma, waist, and gaster (except the apex) grayish brown..

range Known only from the type locality.

Biology A permanent workerless parasite of Pheidole nitidula ^HNS.

figure Syntype, queen. (Adapted from Bruch 1932.) ARGENTINA: Alta Gracia (La Granja), Sierra de Cordoba (Carlos Bruch). Scale bar = 1 mm.