Pheidole rosae

An inhabitant of subtropical forests. Winged queens and males were present in a nest near Tapia, Tucumán, on 25 January, col. W. L. Brown. (Wilson, 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
From Wilson (2003): Recorded from Santa Catarina (type locality) and, as the synonymous “silvestrii,” from Tucumán (type locality), Buenos Aires, and Córdoba, Argentina (Kempf 1972b; W. L. Brown).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil.

Biology
Kempf (1974) reported that Oxyepoecus bruchi were collected with P. rosae in Argentina. An observation nest created from a collection of rosae that contained both species found no hostility between these ants.

Nomenclature

 *  rosae. Pheidole rosae Forel, 1901h: 63 (s.) BRAZIL. Senior synonym of silvestrii: Wilson, 2003: 742.
 * silvestrii. Pheidole silvestrii Emery, 1906c: 146 (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of rosae: Wilson, 2003: 742.

Description
From Wilson (2003): DIAGNOSIS Similar in various characters to Pheidole guayasana, Pheidole pidax, Pheidole rosula and Pheidole securigera, distinguished as follows.

Major: reddish yellow; frontal lobes extended forward as conspicuous lobes, as seen in side view; wide, shallow antennal scrobe present; promesonotum descends abruptly and obliquely to metanotum; postpetiolar node spinose; portions of anterior pronotal dorsum and propodeal dorsum carinulate, and rest of mesosoma smooth and shiny.

Minor: several carinulae extend from frontal lobes to occiput, center of occiput carinulate, and rest of posterior dorsal head surface smooth; propodeal spines reduced to denticles.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Syntype major of synonymous silvestrii: HW 1.40, HL 1.52, SL 0.60, EL 0.16, PW 0.72. Syntype minor of synonymous silvestrii: HW 0.62, HL 0.64, SL 0.58, EL 0.12, PW 0.42.

COLOR Major: concolorous reddish yellow.

Minor: concolorous plain medium yellow.



'''Figure. Upper: syntype, major of synonymous Pheidole silvestrii Emery (Santa Catarina, Brazil). Lower: syntype, minor of synonymous P. silvestrii Emery (Quebrada Cainzo, Tucumán, Argentina). Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
Brazil: Santa Catarina. - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Etymology
Eponymous. (Wilson 2003)