Pheidole laevifrons Mayr

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 163-216 : 199

Pheidole laevifrons Mayr

Pheidole laevifrons Mayr 1887: 598.

types Naturhist. Mus. Wien.

etymology L laevifrons , smooth or polished front, presumably alluding to the mostly smooth, shiny dorsum of the head of both castes.

Diagnosis A small, yellow member of the diligens group, distinguished as follows.

Major: cephalic sculpturing limited to the anterior third of the head, level with and anterior to the eyes; moderately abundant pilosity; relatively short propodeal spines. Close to peregrina, but major with much shallower occipital cleft in frontal view, thinner petiolar peduncle and node in side view, and more mesad placement of cephalic rugoreticulum.

Minor: thicker propodeal spines and longer scapes. Also similar to triconstricta but with much denser pilosity, shallower occipital cleft, and bilobous as opposed to trilobous promesonotal profile in dorsal-oblique view.

See also the less similar coffeicola , pubiventris , seeldrayersi , and variegata .

measurements (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.08, HL 1.06, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.54.

Paralectotype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.70, SL 0.82, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.

Color Major and minor: concolorous yellow.

range Known only from the type series.

Biology Unknown.

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