Pheidole gauthieri

From Wilson (2003): In Costa Rica Longino (1997) found gauthieri in mature wet forest, nesting in dead wood in the low arboreal zone and foraging in the leaf litter and at extrafloral nectaries. A winged queen was present in a nest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, 27 June (W. M. Wheeler).

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
I have seen material from Guatemala (Tikal), Costa Rica (Osa Peninsula), Panama (localities in the Canal Zone), and Colombia. J. T. Longino (1997) reports it from both the Atlantic and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  gauthieri. Pheidole ursus r. gauthieri Forel, 1901e: 367 (w.) COLOMBIA. Raised to species: Forel, 1912f: 233. Senior synonym of oxymora: Wilson, 2003: 693.
 * oxymora. Pheidole gauthieri var. oxymora Forel, 1912f: 233 (s.w.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of gauthieri: Wilson, 2003: 693.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar to Pheidole antillana, Pheidole coveri, Pheidole fullerae, Pheidole hetschkoi, Pheidole heyeri and Pheidole napoensis in various traits but easily distinguished as follows.

Major: propodeal spines as long as basal face of propodeum; occiput smooth and shiny; smaller patch of rugoreticulum present laterad to each antennal fossa; loose rugoreticulum present on anterior half of pronotal dorsum but absent on posterior half; postpetiole spinose.

Minor: occiput, sides of head, and entire dorsum of mesosoma rugoreticulate, and almost all of remainder of head and mesosoma variously rugulose or carinulate; propodeal spines as long as basal face of propodeum; occiput narrowed but lacking a nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Major (Panama): HW 2.04, HL 2.12, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.94. Lectotype minor: HW 0.80, HL 0.81, SL 0.86, EL 0.16, PW 0.54.

COLOR Major: concolorous light reddish brown.

Minor: head and meso soma light reddish yellow; waist, gaster, and appendages clear dark yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: syntype, major of synonymous gauthieri var. oxymora (Panama). Lower: lectotype, minor (road from Dibulla to San Antonio, Guajira, Colombia). Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
Panama. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Named after A. and C. Gauthier of Colombia, who assisted Forel in his itinerary. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques, Part III: 3me sousfamille Myrmicinae (suite). Genres Cremastogaster et Pheidole. Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 19: 211–237.

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