Pheidole bruchella ^HNS Forel, new status

Pheidole lignicola var. bruchella ^HNS Forel 1915c: 355.

Types Mus. Hist. Nat. Geneve.

Etymology Named for the Argentine entomologist Carlos Bruch.

diagnosis Similar in various traits to breviscapa ^HNS, caracalla ^HNS, micon ^HNS, subreticulata ^HNS, and tennantae ^HNS, differing as follows.

Major: brown; metanotum seen from side raised as a ridge; mesonotal convexity seen from side subangulate; pronotal dorsum in dorsal-oblique view bilobate; postpetiole from above trapezoidal; occipital lobes smooth and shiny; rugoreticulum present between eye and antennal fossa on each side; most of dorsal head surface and anterior half of pronotal dorsum carinulate.

Minor: ventral surface of head in profile feebly concave; all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque; propodeal spines small; occiput narrowed slightly, but with strongly concave margin and no nuchal collar.

Measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.94, SL 0.50, EL 0.10, PW 0.48.

Paralectotype minor: HW 0.44, HL 0.52, SL 0.62, EL 0.08, PW 0.30.

color Major: body dark brown, appendages medium brown.

Range Known only from the type specimens: "Argentina," no further locality.

Biology Unknown.

Figure Upper: lectotype, major. Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.