Pheidole borgmeieri

This species nests in rotting wood in rainforests. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from São Paulo state, Brazil. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  borgmeieri. Pheidole borgmeieri Kempf, 1972b: 461, figs. 11-14 (s.w.) BRAZIL. See also: Wilson, 2003: 381.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A small member of the flavens group, most similar to Pheidole nana of Brazil, differing from it and other species of the group as follows.

Major: all of head except frontal triangle and mid-clypeus covered by parallel longitudinal carinulae; the carinulae passing between the eyes and antennal fossae curve inward (mesad) as they approach the occiput, such that those from the two sides of the head meet at the midline near the occipital border; profile of promesonotum in side view forms a smooth, near-perfect semicircle; humerus extended as a prominent lobe in dorsal-oblique view; almost all of mesosoma, waist, and gaster smooth and shiny.

Minor: almost all of the body smooth and shiny; propodeal spines reduced to denticles. (Wilson 2003)

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Paratype major: HW 0.76, HL 0.78, SL 0.40, EL 0.10, PW 0.40. Paratype minor: HW 0.40, HL 0.44, SL 0.36, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

COLOR Major: all of body yellow except gaster, which is a slightly contrasting light brown.

Minor: mesosoma and waist light brownish yellow, head and gaster a contrasting light brown.



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

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
BRAZIL: Cantazeiza, São Paulo, col. K. Lenko. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Named after the Brazilian entomologist Fr. Thomas Borgmeier. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da região Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3–344.

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