Pheidole exarata

The Colombian colony, with a winged queen, was found in montane rainforest on 24 March. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from the type locality and from Reserva Naturale, El Guayaba, Cali-Popayan, Cauca, Colombia, 1600 m, col. W. L. Brown and R. Root. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Costa Rica.

Nomenclature

 *  exarata. Pheidole exarata Emery, 1896g: 68 (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Senior synonym of grantae: Longino, 2009: 31. See also: Wilson, 2003: 686.
 * grantae. Pheidole crassipes r. grantae Forel, 1908b: 53 (s.w.) COSTA RICA. Raised to species: Wheeler, 2003: 700. Junior synonym of exarata: Longino, 2009: 31.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS A large, medium brown (major) or plain light brown (minor) member of the tristis group with small propodeal spines, possessing as well a subpostpetiolar process and bell-shaped postpetiolar node.

Major: all of dorsal head surface covered by parallel longitudinal carinulae; and pronotal dorsum by transverse carinulae.

Minor: occiput broad, lacking a nuchal collar; all of dorsal surface of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque.

Similar to Pheidole alpinensis, Pheidole excubitor, Pheidole germaini, Pheidole grandinodus, Pheidole obrima, Pheidole rogeri, Pheidole stulta, Pheidole tristis and Pheidole zoster, differing in many details of body form, sculpturing, and pilosity, as illustrated, and in color, as described.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.60, HL l.78, SL 0.86, EL 0.20, PW 0.80. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.80, HL 0.86, SL 0.78, EL 0.14, PW 0.50.

COLOR Major: concolorous medium reddish brown.

Minor: concolorous plain light brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
COSTA RlCA: San Jose. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
Unknown.

Additional References
Emery, C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XVII–XXV. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 28: 33–107.

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