Pheidole texana

P. texana is evidently a rare species. Wheeler (1903c) discovered only four colonies over many years’ collecting, and all in Travis County, Texas; all were in grassland, nesting in open soil, with the entrances surmounted by small mounds about 10 cm in diameter. During their intensive collecting in western Texas, Moody and Francke (1982) found only two colonies, nesting in open, fully exposed clayey loam. (Wilson 2003)

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Known from the type locality, as well as Sutton and Uvalde Counties in western Texas. (Wilson 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.

Nomenclature

 *  texana. Pheidole texana Wheeler, W.M. 1903b: 97, fig. 4 (s.w.) U.S.A. See also: Wilson, 2003: 353.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A member of the fallax group, distinguished by the following combination of traits.

Major: posterior third of dorsal surface of the head rugoreticulate; scape slightly expanded at the base; promesonotal dorsum transversely carinulate; postpetiolar node from above very wide, and elliptical; small subpostpetiolar process present.

Minor: occiput rugoreticulate; promesonotal dorsum transversely carinulate; postpetiole from above very broad, and bell-shaped; mesosoma, waist, and all head except frontal triangle and middle of clypeus foveolate and opaque.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.40, HL 1.54, SL 0.86, EL 0.26, PW 0.74. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.68, HL 0.78, SL 0.84, EL 0.16, PW 0.48.

COLOR Major and minor: concolorous light reddish brown.



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

Type Material
- as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
TEXAS: Austin, Travis Co., col. W. M. Wheeler.

Etymology
Named after state of origin of type colony. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Moody, J. V., Francke, O. F. 1982. The ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of western Texas, Part 1: Subfamily Myrmicinae. Grad. Stud. Tex. Tech Univ. 27: 1–80.

Wheeler, W. M. 1903c. A decade of Texan Formicidae. Psyche (Camb.) 10: 93–111.

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