Pheidole inversa

Nothing is known about the biology of inversa.

Identification
See the description in the nomenclature section.

Distribution
Northern lowland Colombia and Curaçao. (Wilson 2003)

This taxon was described from Colombia.

Description
From Wilson (2003): A small reddish brown, nearly hairless member of the diligens group, close to Pheidole bruesi of Grenada, Pheidole diligens and Pheidole laidlowi of Brazil, and the widespread and very abundant Neotropical Pheidole radoszkowskii and Pheidole triconstricta. P. inversa is distinguished from all these species by the following combination of traits.

Major: anterior two-thirds of head longitudinally carinulate, posterior one-third smooth and shiny; cephalic rugoreticulum absent; petiolar node relatively thick in side view; anterior three-fourths of median strip of first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque. Minor: posterior two-thirds of median strip of first gastral tergite shagreened and opaque.

This form and Pheidole bruesi, as well as Pheidole diligens, may prove to fall within the substantial variation of Pheidole radoszkowskii and thus become synonymous.

MEASUREMENTS (mm) Lectotype major: HW 1.02, HL 1.08, SL 0.80, EL 0.20, PW 0.50. Paralectotype minor: HW 0.56, HL 0.64, SL 0.76, EL 0.16, PW 0.38.

COLOR Major: body light reddish brown; appendages brownish yellow.

Minor: concolorous light reddish brown.



'''Figure. Upper: lectotype, major (upper mesosomal profile, lectotype; lower mesosomal profile, major from Curaçao). Lower: paralectotype, minor. Scale bars = 1 mm.'''

Type Material
Lectotype and paralectotype: Paralectotypes:  - as reported in Wilson (2003)

Type Locality Information
COLOMBIA: Barranquilla. (Wilson 2003)

Etymology
L inversa, turned upside down, allusion unknown. (Wilson 2003)

Additional References
Forel, A. 1901. Variétés myrmécologiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 45: 334–382.

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