Pheidole petrensis

Collected from beneath a rock. A male was present in the nest on 26 May. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Only known from the type locality.

This taxon was described from Mexico.

Description
A member of the fallax group similar to Pheidole haskinsorum, Pheidole hector, Pheidole lattkei and Pheidole susannae, distinguished as follows.

Major: head subrectangular in full-face view; tip of antennal scape just reaches occipital corner; almost entire head, mesosoma, and waist foveolate and opaque; entire central strip of all the gastral tergites shagreened and opaque; rugoreticulum limited to space between eye and antennal fossa; carinulae limited mostly to anterior half of head, absent from rest of body; propodeal spines moderately long and thin.

Minor: propodeal spines long, very thin, needle-like; head capsule in full-face view forms almost perfect oval; nuchal collar present; entire head and body foveolate and opaque; entire central strip of first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque to subopaque.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 1.16, HL 1.26, SL 1.02, EL 0.22, PW 0.62. Paratype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.84, SL 1.06, EL 0.20, PW 0.46.

COLOR Major: body and appendages medium to dark brown; a darker brown circular spot is present on vertex.

Minor: body concolorous light brown.



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

Type Locality Information
MEXICO: 24 km west of Cuernavaca, Morelos, 2200 m (William P. MacKay).

Etymology
Gr L petrensis, at a stone, alluding to the microhabitat of the type colony.