Pheidole nitidula

Nothing is known about the biology of nitidula.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
I have verified material from Buenos Aires, Córdova, Misiones, and Salta in Argentina, and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Kempf (1972b) also reports it from Rio de Janeiro. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Argentina.

Nomenclature

 *  nitidula. Pheidole triconstricta var. nitidula Emery, 1888e: 693 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Santschi, 1929d: 281 (q.m.). Raised to species: Emery, 1906c: 154. Senior synonym of daguerrei, perversa, richteri, silvicola, strobeli (and its junior synonym misera) and material of the unavailable names labrata, vicina referred here: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * strobeli. Pheidole strobeli Emery, 1906c: 149 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Goni, Zolessi & Imai, 1983: 365 (k.). Subspecies of cordiceps: Santschi, 1912e: 528; Bruch, 1915: 531. Status as species: Emery, 1922e: 101; Borgmeier, 1927b: 61. Subspecies of nitidula: Santschi, 1929d: 282; Kempf, 1972a: 197. Senior synonym of misera: Santschi, 1929d: 282. Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * perversa. Pheidole perversa Forel, 1908c: 373 (s.w.) BRAZIL. Subspecies of strobeli: Emery, 1922e: 101; of nitidula: Kempf, 1972a: 197. Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * richteri. Pheidole perversa subsp. richteri Forel, 1909a: 266 (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. Forel, 1914d: 273 (m.). Subspecies of strobeli: Santschi, 1916e: 373; of nitidula: Santschi, 1929d: 281. Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * misera. Pheidole strobeli var. misera Santschi, 1916e: 373 (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of strobeli: Santschi, 1929d: 282.
 * silvicola. Pheidole strobeli subsp. silvicola Borgmeier, 1927b: 61 (s.w.) BRAZIL. [Also described as new by Borgmeier, 1928a: 39.] Subspecies of nitidula: Santschi, 1929d: 283. Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328.
 * daguerrei. Pheidole nitidula var. daguerrei Santschi, 1931e: 275 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of nitidula: Wilson, 2003: 328.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the fallax group, similar to Pheidole bergi, Pheidole cordiceps, Pheidole dione, Pheidole eidmanni and Pheidole pampana of southern South America, differing as follows.

Major: pilosity sparse; rugoreticulum on each side of head extends between eye and antennal fossa and anteriorly almost to border of head; vertex smooth; carinulae originating on frontal lobes not quite reaching midway between level of eyes and level of occiput; pronotal dorsum in dorsal-oblique view weakly bilobous; metanotal convexity in side view symmetrical; carinulae absent from sides of propodeum; postpetiole from above symmetrical.

Minor: pilosity sparse; pronotum in dorsal-oblique view feebly bilobate; occiput in frontal view feebly convex, nearly flat, lacking nuchal collar.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.30, HL 1.32, SL 0.84, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.74, SL 0.82, EL 0.18, PW 0.44.

COLOR Major: concolorous reddish brown.

Minor: concolorous plain medium brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
ARGENTINA: La Plata, Buenos Aires, col. C. Spegazzini. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L nitidula, little shining one. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1888e. Alcune formiche della Repubblica Argentina raccolte dal Dott. C. Spegazzini. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova 26 [(2) 6]: 690–694.

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.