Pheidole triconstricta Forel ^HNS

Pheidole triconstricta ^HNS Forel 1886b: xlv. Syn.: Pheidole triconstricta var. ambulans Emery ^HNS 1906c: 153, n. syn.; Pheidole radoszkowskii var. saviozae ^HNS Forel 191 le: 304, n. syn; Pheidole radoszkowskii var. discursans ^HNS Forel 1912g: 223, n. syn.; Pheidole triconstricta var. rosariensis ^HNS Forel 1913m: 230, n. syn.; Pheidole triconstricta var. hebe ^HNS Santschi 1923d: 55, n. syn.. Raised to species level in this monograph: bruesi ^HNS, laidlowi ^HNS, nubila ^HNS.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve; Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L triconstricta ^HNS, triply contracted, drawn together, evidently referring to the mesosoma, as seen in dorsal-oblique view.

Diagnosis A member of the diligens ^HNS group distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: yellow, dorsal surface of head and all of body, including gaster, virtually hairless; promesonotal profde in dorsal-oblique view 3-lobed; rugoreticulum present mesad to the eyes; sculpturing of head confined to the portion level with and anterior to the eyes; posterior half of dorsal head surface, and all of the gaster, smooth and shiny; all of mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque. Minor: yellow; mesosoma bare of pilosity; all of head, mesosoma and waist, along with anterior strip of first gastral tergite, foveolate and opaque.

See also anima ^HNS, diligens ^HNS, gagates ^HNS, nubila ^HNS, piceonigra ^HNS, radoszkowskii ^HNS, and stigma ^HNS. measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.26, SL 0.74, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.66, EL 0.12, PW 0.40. Color Major and minor: concolorous yellow.

Range Besides the types and other specimens from Argentina, I have seen specimens form Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bolivia (Faquira), and Argentina (San Miguel de Tucuman); Kempf lists triconstricta ^HNS in addition from Uruguay and Minas Gerais and Parana in Brazil.

Biology Males were present in a nest in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, 18 January - 3 February (W. L. Brown).

figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Scale bars = 1 mm.