Pheidole brachyops, Wilson, E. O., 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 365-535 : 382

Pheidole brachyops new species

Types INBio.

Etymology Gr brachyops, short eyes, referring to the proportionately small eyes of the major.

diagnosis A large, yellow member of the flavens group distinguishable as follows.

Major: proportionately small eyes and propodeal spiracles; short clypeus; deep concave cleft of occipital border in full-face view; bilobed profile of promesonotum in dorsal-oblique view; dense and full rugoreticulum between eye and antennal fossa; smooth posterior two-thirds of head dorsum; completely carinulate dorsad of pronotum; dense, long pilosity.

Minor: head and body almost completely smooth; propodeal spiracle tiny; propodeal spine thin, almost needle-like in side view. See also the somewhat similar arhuaca , flavifrons , lustrata , moffetti , quercicola , and tambopatae . Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.20, HL 1.40, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.56, SL 0.54, EL 0.10, PW 0.34. Color Major: concolorous dark yellow.

Minor: gaster brownish yellow, rest of body and appendages dark yellow.

Range Northwestern lowlands of Costa Rica (J. T. Longino 1997).

biology Collected from tuna baits in the "bosque humedo" of Santa Rosa National Park, and from roadside vegetation near Lagartos, on the road to Monteverde (Longino 1997).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. COSTA RICA: Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, 10A°51 TSf 85A°37W, 100 m (j. T. Longino). Scale bars = 1 mm.