Pheidole valens, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press : 359

Pheidole valens new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology L valens , strong, vigorous.

diagnosis A member of the fallax group with similarities to fallax , jelskii , obscurithorax , puttemansi , and roushae , distinguished as follows.

Major: head quadrate; almost all of anterior two-thirds of dorsal surface of head (except frontal triangle, antennal fossae, and clypeus) rugoreticulate, and posterior third foveolate; anterior half of pronotal dorsum rugoreticulate; antennal scape near base slightly broader than near tip; pronotum weakly bilobous in dorsal-oblique view; metanotum convex in side view; petiole thick in side view, but the apex of its node tapering almost to a point; median strip of entire first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque. Minor: all of head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque; anterior half of median strip shagreened. measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.70, HL 1.80, SL 1.02, EL 0.26, PW 0.92. Paratype minor: HW 0.66, HL 0.84, SL 1.04, EL 0.18, PW 0.54.

Color Major: head, mesosoma, and petiole medium reddish brown; postpetiole and gaster dark reddish brown. Minor: body medium reddish brown except for gaster, which is dark reddish brown; appendages light reddish brown.

Range Known only from the type locality.

biology The type colony was found in a soil nest whose entrance hole was surrounded by pebbles, in a cerrado-like secondary thicket.

figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Mpio. Livramento, Mato Grosso (James C. Trager). Scale bars = 1 mm.