Pheidole rectisentis ^HNS new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

etymology L rectisentis ^HNS, upright thorn, alluding to the strong, erect propodeal spines.

diagnosis Similar to bilimeki ^HNS, floridana ^HNS, hazenae ^HNS, rectiluma ^HNS, rectispina ^HNS, rectitrudis, sospes ^HNS, and stomachosa ^HNS, differing as follows. Major: mostly blackish brown, with bicolored head; from margins of dorsal head surface to space between eyes and antennal fossae rugoreticulate, as well as lateral margins of frontal lobes; all of central third of head, including much of the vertex and occiput, solely foveolate; all of head and mesosoma overall foveolate; in dorsal-oblique view humerus subangulate; propodeal spines robust and nearly vertical to propodeal basal face in side view; postpetiole from above conulate.

Minor: eyes set well forward on head; propodeal spines robust, nearly vertical to propodeal basal face; almost all of head and all of mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.90, HL 0.98, SL 0.50, EL 0.12, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.50, HL 0.58, SL 0.46, EL 0.06, PW 0.34.

Color Major: head bicolored, with surface anterior to eye level medium reddish brown and rest blackish brown; also sides of pronotum and petiole medium reddish brown; and rest of body blackish brown; appendages light reddish brown. Minor: body blackish brown, appendages brownish yellow.

Range Known only from the type locality.

Biology The type colony was found in forest, nesting in a rotting twig in leaf litter in a tree crotch about one meter from the ground.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. NICARAGUA: Hotel Selva Negra, 139 km north of Matagalpa, 1200 m (Charles Kugler and J. Hahn). Scale bars = 1 mm.