Pheidole pidax

The type colony was collected in montane rainforest. Winged queens were present on 28 July.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

This taxon was described from Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  pidax. Pheidole pidax Wilson, 2003: 732, figs. (s.w.) COLOMBIA.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Sharing some traits with Pheidole guayasana, Pheidole rhytifera, Pheidole rosae, Pheidole rosula, Pheidole securigera, as well as others with some members of the flavens group, distinguished as follows.

Major: frontal lobes extended forward as blunt right-angular processes; shallow antennal scrobes present; propodeal spines half as long as basal propodeal face anterior to them; hypostoma 2-toothed; humerus in dorsal-oblique view very prominent, right-angular; carinulae originating on frontal lobes and seen in full-face view spread outward, away from the midline, for their entire length.

Minor: propodeal spines half as long as basal propodeal face and curved strongly backward; all of head, mesosoma, and petiole foveolate and opaque.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.56, SL 0.62, EL 0.22, PW 0.64. Paratype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.60, SL 0.62, EL 0.12, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: body brownish yellow, appendages plain medium yellow.

Minor: concolorous medium yellow.



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

Type Locality Information
COLOMBIA: Queremal, Rio San Juan, Valle, 1300 m, col. William L. Brown.

Etymology
Gr pidax, fountain, referring to the spray-like pattern of the cephalic carinulae.

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