Pheidole chrysops, 2003

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 163-216 : 180

Pheidole chrysops new species

Types Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard.

Etymology Gr chrysops , like gold, referring to the dark yellow color of the major.

Diagnosis A small, yellow species tentatively placed in the diligens group but with clear ties to some members of the fallax group, i.e., aenescens, bergi, cordiceps, and midas, from which it is distinguished by the following set of traits.

Major: head heart-shaped, but with occipital angles in full-face view tending toward subangulate; propodeal spine short, equilaterally triangular; pronotal profde in dorsal-oblique view slightly bilobous; pilosity long and dense; head lacking rugoreticulum, and carinulae limited to anterior half of head with frontal lobes mostly bare.

Minor: occiput narrowed but lacking nuchal collar; in profile, mesonotum moderately convex.

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.96, SL 0.74, EL 0.18, PW 0.52.

Paratype minor: HW 0.46, HL 0.54, SL 0.66, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

Color Major: concolorous dark ("golden") yellow.

Minor: clear medium yellow.

RANGE Known from the type locality and from a single series, nearly identical to the types, from Reserva Mbaracayii, Jejuimi, Dept. Canindeyu, Paraguay.

BIOLOGY The Paraguay colony was in a nest in leaf litter in "high forests" (Alex Wild).

Figure Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Taperinha, Santarem, Para (Robert L. Jeanne). Scale bars = 1 mm.