Pheidole longiseta ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L longiseta ^HNS, long-haired.

Diagnosis A medium-sized, brown species with extremely long, relative sparse, erect to suberect pilosity.

Major: the cephalic sculpturing is confined to the anterior half of the head and consists in part of rugoreticulum mesad to the eyes.

Minor: propodeal spine greatly reduced, pronotum smooth and shining.

Similar to pubiventris ^HNS, sensitiva ^HNS, and variegata ^HNS, differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated. See also the less similar blumenauensis ^HNS, rochai ^HNS, seeldrayersi ^HNS, and vafra ^HNS.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.14, HL 1.16, SL 0.88, EL 0.18, PW 0.58.

Paratype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.74, SL 0.98, EL 0.16, PW 0.42.

color Major: body medium brown, appendages a slightly contrasting medium yellowish brown.

Minor: head, mesosoma, and peduncles of petiole and postpetiole dark brown; nodes of petiole and postpetiole, gaster, and appendages a contrasting medium brown.

range Known from the type locality, and from 90 km north of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (E. O. Wilson).

Biology The type colony was nesting in a small white-wood rotten log on the floor of terra firme forest.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. PERU: Cuzco Amazonico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios (Stefan Cover and John E. Tobin). Scale bars = 1 mm.