Pheidole capillata

At Cuzco Amazonico, near Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru, Stefan Cover and John Tobin found a population of capillata colonies in a grassy clearing on the Madre de Dios River. The nests were in heavy clay, and the workers were observed foraging on cloudy days and at dawn and dusk. The species was absent from the adjacent rainforest. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Goias and Mato Grosso, Brazil; and Madre de Dios and San Martin, Amazonian Peru. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Brazil.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Close to Pheidole gertrudae (q.v.), and possibly synonymous with it, but differing in the following combination of traits.

Major: propodeal spines present but only as short, thick denticles; frontal lobes covered by longitudinal carinulae; and thinner petiolar node in side view.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.56, HL l.60, SL 0.84, EL 0.22, PW 0.74. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.64, HL 0.70, SL 0.78, EL 0.14, PW 0.42.

COLOR Major: body mostly light yellowish brown with a slight reddish tint; gaster medium yellowish brown with reddish tint to plain medium brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
BRAZIL: Coxipo, Mato Grosso. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L capillata, hairy. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Emery, C. 1906c (“1905”). Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica, XXVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 37: 107–194.

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