Pheidole dossena

Occurs on the floor of lowland forest, nesting in rotting wood. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
I have seen material from numerous localities in lowland southern Mexico (Palenque, Chiapas), Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
A member of the fallax group, similar to Pheidole bergi in some traits, but easily distinguished from it and other group members as follows.

Major: brownish yellow with a conspicuous circular brown spot in center of vertex, and yellow appendages. Propodeal spines thin, one-third as long as the basal propodeal face and vertical to it; petiolar node very high, tapering in side view at the apex to form a blunt point; postpetiole from above elliptical, with subangulate lateral margins; rugoreticulum extending on each side of head from eye to antennal fossa; carinulae along midline reach from vertex to occiput, and flanked on occiput by short, feeble carinulae, with rest of posterior half of dorsal head surface smooth.

Minor: propodeal spines long and thin; occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar; carinulae cross border between mesopleuron and side of propodeum.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.14, HL 1.22, SL 0.64, EL 0.14, PW 0.56. Paratype minor: HW 0.52, HL 0.64, SL 0.68, EL 0.12, PW 0.34.

COLOR Major: body and mandibles light brownish yellow, verging to light brown in a circular spot in center of vertex; appendages clear yellow.

Minor: body brownish yellow, tending to clear yellow on mesosoma and waist, with a brownish tinge on head and gaster; appendages clear yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: holotype, major. Lower: paratype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia, col. Stefan Cover.

Etymology
L dossena, clown, jester, referring to the odd head coloration.

Additional References
Text and images from this publication used by permission of the author.