Pheidole alienata

Nothing is known about the biology of alienata.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  alienata. Pheidole bergi subsp. alienata Borgmeier, 1929: 205 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Raised to species: Wilson, 2003: 264.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the fallax group, close to Pheidole bergi and possibly only a variant of it; also similar to Pheidole aenescens, Pheidole cordiceps, Pheidole chrysops, Pheidole midas and Pheidole nesiota. P. alienata is distinguished as follows.

Major: carinulae of dorsum of head extend more than halfway from level of eye to occiput; pronotum completely covered by transverse carinulae, and foveolate and opaque in the interspaces; humerus in dorsal-oblique view prominent, rising 2X higher above the level of the propodeum as the mesonotal convexity.

Minor: propodeal spine long, needle-like.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.52, HL 1.60, SL 0.94, EL 0.22, PW 0.78. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.84, SL 1.00, EL 0.18, PW 0.48.

COLOR Major: concolorous light reddish brown.

Minor: appendages and body brownish yellow except for the gaster, which is plain medium brown.



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

Type Material
BRAZIL: Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
L alienata, estranged, maddening; allusion unknown. (Wilson 2003)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
 * Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, M. Leponce, J. Orivel, R. Silvestre, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, and A. Dejean. 2013. Leaf-litter ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a pristine Guianese rainforest: stable functional structure versus high species turnover. Myrmecological News 19: 43-51.
 * Groc S., J. Orivel, A. Dejean, J. Martin, M. Etienne, B. Corbara, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2009. Baseline study of the leaf-litter ant fauna in a French Guianese forest. Insect Conservation and Diversity 2: 183-193.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).