Pheidole amabilis

According to Longino (1997), amabilis occurs in wet forest. Nests have been found in Cecropia sapling internodes, in foliar pouches of a myrmecophytic melastome, and in a dead stick in leaf litter. The colony in the dead stick was separated from a colony of Pheidole scrobifera by a plug of woody frass; fighting between the two species ensued when the plug was removed. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Reported from the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica to 1100 m. (Longino 1997).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Mexico.

Worker
Minor

Nomenclature

 *  amabilis. Pheidole amabilis Wilson, 2003: 369, figs. (s.w.) COSTA RICA.

Description
A medium-sized, concolorous yellow species whose major is distinguished by the slightly concave profile of the posterior half of the head capsule; also possessing a carpet of dense, evenly short, forward-projecting, subdecumbent (45°-angled from surface) hairs on the posterior half of the head and occiput; weak but distinct mesonotal convexity; and short, nearly vertical propodeal spines.

Similar to Pheidole angulifera, Pheidole boliviana, Pheidole crinita, Pheidole melastomae, Pheidole mixteca, Pheidole scitula, Pheidole terresi and Pheidole tysoni but readily distinguished by the above traits as well as by various differences in sculpture and color.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.94, HL 1.14, SL 0.52, EL 0.14, PW 0.48. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.66, SL 0.60, EL 0.14, PW 0.36.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium yellow.

Minor: gaster dark yellow, rest of body medium yellow.



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

Type Material
COSTA RICA: Rio Peñas Blancas, Alajuela, 10°19'N 84°42'W, 800 m, J. T. Longino.

Etymology
L amabilis, lovely.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944