Pheidole vestita

From Wilson (2003): Nests in clayey soil of mature forest trail (E. O. Wilson); observed foraging at night on grassy section of trail (Longino 1997). . The type colony was from a soil nest in the middle of a forest trail, surrounded by excavated earth.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Distinguished from other members of the scrobifera group by the following suite of character states.

Major: entire body covered by long, very dense, suberect to erect hairs; promesonotum smoothly semicircular in dorsal-oblique view; posterior two-thirds of dorsal head surface rugoreticulate; frontal lobes and all of promesonotum entirely smooth and shiny.

Minor: occiput narrowed, with nuchal collar; all of head smooth and shiny except for circular carinulae around antennal fossae; all of promesonotal border and all of waist smooth and shiny; propodeal spines short and erect.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.86, HL 2.22, SL 0.88, EL 0.22, PW 0.96. Paratype minor: HW 0.60, HL 0.64, SL 0.70, EL 0.14, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: posterior three-fourths of head capsule dark reddish brown, anterior one-fourth medium reddish brown; mesosoma and waist dark to medium reddish brown; gaster plain dark reddish brown; appendages light reddish brown.

Minor: posterior four-fifths of head capsule dark brown, anterior one-fifth light brown; mesosoma and waist light brown; gaster dark brown; appendages yellowish brown.



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

Type Locality Information
COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station, near Puerto Viejo, Heredia, col. E. O. Wilson.

Etymology
L vestita, clothed, wearing garments, referring to the unusually dense pilosity of the major.

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