Pheidole cardiella

At Cuzco Amazónico Stefan Cover (personal communication) found cardiella in both terra firme and seasonally flooded rainforest, nesting in soil, litter, and small pieces of rotten wood. Colonies appeared to be small, and in some cases occupied more than one nest site. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
A member of the flavens group, most similar to Pheidole chloe, Pheidole goeldii, Pheidole mittermeieri, Pheidole nuculiceps, Pheidole sculptior and Pheidole striaticeps. See the Nomenclature section for details about specific traits that distinguish Pheidole cardiella from these closely related species.

Distribution
Recorded from the type locality and from Manabí and Pichincha Provinces of Ecuador. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Peru.

Description
A member of the flavens group, most similar to Pheidole chloe, Pheidole goeldii, Pheidole mittermeieri, Pheidole nuculiceps, Pheidole sculptior and Pheidole striaticeps. Distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: head with mandibles in full-face view almost perfectly heart-shaped; antennal scrobes present; vertex near occiput conspicuously depressed; entire dorsal surface of head, except for frontal triangle, mid-clypeus, and antennal scrobes, longitudinally carinulate; carinulae originating on frontal lobes curve weakly inward as they approach occiput, and carinulae laterad to the antennal scrobes curve strongly inward to meet those originating on the frontal lobes; all of mesosoma foveolate and opaque; postpetiole diamond-shaped.

Minor: all of head and mesosoma foveolate and opaque; eye set forward on head, separated from genal border by a distance about equal to Eye Length; carinulae on head fail to reach eye level.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Holotype major: HW 0.72, HL 0.72, SL 0.36, EL 0.08, PW 0.34. Paratype minor: HW 0.38, HL 0.42, SL 032, EL 0.06, PW 0.24.

COLOR Major: mesosoma, waist, and anterior strip of first gastral tergite yellowish brown; head and rest of gaster medium brown; appendages medium yellow.

Minor: concolorous dark yellow.

Both castes are sometimes much darker in shade.



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

Type Locality Information
PERU: Cuzco Amazónico, 15 km northeast of Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios (Stefan P. Cover and John E. Tobin).

Etymology
Gr cardiella, little heart, referring to the head shape of the major.