Pheidole diversipilosa

According to Stefan Cover (personal communication), diversipilosa is common at mid-elevations (1050–1900 m), favoring oak-pine-juniper forests, especially those in creek valleys, where it nests under rocks and in open soil. Colonies have single queens and large populations, which can exceed 1000 workers. Seed caches have been found in some nests. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Southwestern Texas to the mountains of southern and central Arizona. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from the United States.

Nomenclature

 *  diversipilosa. Pheidole crassicornis var. diversipilosa Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 467 (s.w.q.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of crassicornis: Creighton, 1950a: 175; Gregg, 1959: 20. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Naves, 1985: 61. See also: Wilson, 2003: 153.

Description
From Wilson (2003): Very close to Pheidole crassicornis from which it differs in the major by abundant pilosity on the mesosoma and gaster, and Pheidole tetra, from which it differs in the major by the much shorter pilosity on the first gastral tergite and by sparseness or absence of pilosity on the waist and occiput.

Also resembles Pheidole pilosior and Pheidole porcula in various traits as depicted.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.26, HL 1.34, SL 0.66, EL 0.20, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.66, HL 0.74, SL 0.76, EL 0.16, PW 0.46.

COLOR Major and minor: body medium reddish brown, appendages light reddish brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
From Wilson (2003): TEXAS: Ft. Davis, southwestern Texas, col. W. M. Wheeler.

Etymology
L diversipilosa, different (variable) hair, alluding to the major. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Wheeler, W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 24: 399–485.

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