Pheidole triconstricta

From Wilson (2003): Males were present in a nest in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina, 18 January – 3 February, col. W. L. Brown.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Besides the types and other specimens from Argentina, I have seen specimens form São Paulo, Brazil, Bolivia (Faquira), and Argentina (San Miguel de Tucumán); Kempf lists triconstricta in addition from Uruguay and Minas Gerais and Paraná in Brazil. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Argentina.

Nomenclature

 *  triconstricta. Pheidole triconstricta Forel, 1886b: xlv (s.) ARGENTINA. Emery, 1906c: 152 (q.). Senior synonym of ambulans, discursans, hebe, rosariensis, saviozae: Wilson, 2003: 241.
 * ambulans. Pheidole triconstricta var. ambulans Emery, 1906c: 153 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Forel, 1913l: 230 (m.); Santschi, 1919f: 40 (q.). Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
 * saviozae. Pheidole radoszkowskii var. saviozae Forel, 1911c: 304 (s.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
 * discursans. Pheidole radoszkowskii var. discursans Forel, 1912f: 223 (s.q.) PARAGUAY. [First available use of Pheidole radoszkowskii subsp. acuta var. discursans Forel, 1909a: 258; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
 * rosariensis. Pheidole triconstricta var. rosariensis Forel, 1913l: 230 (s.w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.
 * hebe. Pheidole triconstricta var. hebe Santschi, 1923d: 55 (s.w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of triconstricta: Wilson, 2003: 241.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the diligens group distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: yellow, dorsal surface of head and all of body, including gaster, virtually hairless; promesonotal profile in dorsal-oblique view 3-lobed; rugoreticulum present mesad to the eyes; sculpturing of head confined to the portion level with and anterior to the eyes; posterior half of dorsal head surface, and all of the gaster, smooth and shiny; all of mesosoma and waist foveolate and opaque.

Minor: yellow; mesosoma bare of pilosity; all of head, mesosoma and waist, along with anterior strip of first gastral tergite, foveolate and opaque.

See also Pheidole anima, Pheidole diligens, Pheidole gagates, Pheidole nubila, Pheidole piceonigra, Pheidole radoszkowskii and Pheidole stigma.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.24, HL 1.26, SL 0.74, EL 0.22, PW 0.66. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.66, SL 0.66, EL 0.12, PW 0.40.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous yellow.



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

Type Material
and - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L triconstricta, triply contracted, drawn together, evidently referring to the mesosoma, as seen in dorsal-oblique view. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1886b. Espèces nouvelles de fourmis américaines. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 30: xxxviii–xlix.

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