Pheidole macromischoides

From Wilson (2003): Foraging during the day on a limestone block about 2 meters high at side of the road 15 meters from a cliff of a magote, one of the limestone outcroppings at Los Acostas (this one was behind the "new" Rancho de San Vicente, west of the road, as of 1953). The workers looked and moved like the distinctive Leptothorax workers of species formerly placed in the synonymous Macromischa (Temnothorax), which were abundant on and around the mogotes.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

This taxon was described from Cuba.

Castes
Known only from the minor.

Nomenclature

 *  macromischoides. Pheidole macromischoides Wilson, 2003: 718, figs. (w.) CUBA.

Description
DIAGNOSIS Major: unknown.

Minor: medium-sized brown member of the tristis group with long, straight, needle-like propodeal spines; low postpetiolar node, promesonotum smoothly rounded in profile; humerus with low subangle in dorsal-oblique view; bell-shaped postpetiole; broken transverse carinulae covering pronotal dorsum; and dorsa of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Similar to the minor workers of Pheidole alayoi, Pheidole bakeri, Pheidole cubaensis and Pheidole naylae of Cuba and Pheidole androsana of the Bahamas, differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated, and color.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype minor: HW 0.62, HL 0.68, SL 0.76, EL 0.12, PW 0.44.

COLOR Minor: concolorous medium brown, with appendages a shade lighter.



'''Figure. Holotype, minor (Major unknown). Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Locality Information
CUBA: Los Acostas, Pinar del Rio, col. E. O. Wilson.

Etymology
L macromischoides, like Leptothorax  (=Macromischa).

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