Pheidole sensitiva Borgmeier

Wilson, E. O., 2003, Pheidole in the New World. A dominant, hyperdiverse ant genus., Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press : 231

Pheidole sensitiva Borgmeier

Pheidole sensitiva Borgmeier 1959a: 316. Types Mus. Zool. Univ. Sao Paulo.

Etymology L sensitiva , possibly referring to the sensory function of the long body hairs.

diagnosis A small, light reddish brown member of the diligens group with moderately abundant to dense, very long, erect to semierect, often strongly curved hairs.

Major: sculpturing of head consists entirely of carinulae, which are limited to the anterior third of the head capsule and absent from the frontal lobes; promesonotal profde 3-lobed; pronotal humerus rounded in dorsal-oblique view; pilosity of gaster shorter and much denser than on the rest of the body. Minor: humerus rounded and pronotum smooth and shiny.

Similar to longiseta , pubiventris , and variegata , differing in many details of body form and sculpturing, as shown. See also blumenauensis , rochai , seeldrayersi , and vafra .

Measurements (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 0.94, SL 0.64, EL 0.16, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.58, HL 0.64, SL 0.76, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

Color Major: light reddish brown; gaster a shade darker; appendages yellowish brown.

Minor: light brown, gaster a shade darker and appendages a shade lighter than head and mesosoma.

Range Known from the type series from Rio de Janeiro, a series from near San Juan de Arama, Meta, Colombia, and, according to Longino (1997), the Atlantic and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica to 700 m.

Biology In Costa Rica, Longino (1997) found the species in litter and recruiting to baits on the floor of rainforests.

figure Upper: holotype, major (tibia shown next to full-face view of head). Lower: paratype, minor. BRAZIL: Jacarepagua (Taquera), Rio de Janeiro. Scale bars = 1 mm.